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Khadzhimba not to step down as Abkhazian president

Earlier on Wednesday, the Abkhazian opposition demanded resignation of President Raul Khadzhimba and new presidential elections

Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

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Abkhazian opposition demands president’s resignation

SUKHUM, October 21 /TASS/. Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba told his supporters on Wednesday he would not step down despite the opposition’s demand of new elections.

A pro-presidential rally organized by the Aruaa public organization of war veterans took place at Sukhum’s theatrical square on Wednesday. About 2,000 people from various parts of Abkhazia took part in the action, which passed peacefully without any riots.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Abkhazian opposition demanded resignation of President Raul Khadzhimba and new presidential elections.

"We do not trust the incumbent authorities and consider them to be dangerous. The rulers should understand that they better go as soon as possible so long as there are chances not to fall into an abyss," Alkhas Kvitsiniya, the leader of the opposition Amtsakhara (Tribal Fires) party, said at the party’s extraordinary congress in Sukhum.

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Abkhazia opposition pledges not to use party congress to trigger protests to depose govt

"A person who calls himself president and his team should step down in view of the current social and political situation," he stressed.

"The Abkhazian leadership has been recognized to be anti-popular," a resolution adopted at the Amtsakhara congress said.

The Amtsakhara activists promised to organize a people’s gathering if the authorities failed to meet the party’s demand on new presidential elections. The opposition delegated several people to the presidential administration building to hand the resolution’s text over to President Khadzhimba.

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