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Negotiations with Abkhazian opposition to continue on Wednesday — president

Abkhazia's interior minister has been relieved of his duties

Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba Artur Lebedev/TASS

Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba

© Artur Lebedev/TASS

SUKHUM, July 6 /TASS/. Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba said he was ready to continue negotiations with the opposition after the Abkhazian state television announced that Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba had been relieved of his duties late on Tuesday.

"The situation has not yet been resolved. The opposition has other demands. The talks will continue tomorrow [Wednesday, July 6 - TASS]," Khadzhimba told his supporters at the entrance to the presidential administration building in Sukhum

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Abkhazian president relieves interior minister of his duties — source

"If it is needed, we will gather people and discuss the situation, we should think about tomorrow and act within the law," he said.

"As for me, I am here until the end of my term set by the Constitution - until 2019," he said.

He thanked everyone for prevention of bloodshed during the meeting in front of the Interior Ministry building.

"You saw everything that was said and done on Tuesday in Sukhum. The situation was not easy I am grateful to all those who did not let bloodshed happen," Khadzhimba said.

"The fate of the country is at stake, not the president or ministers. We will change the situation. Let's save our country. Both the opposition and supporters of the authorities are our citizens," First Deputy Prime Minister Shamil Adzynba said. He proposed to hold a large rally to tell the authorities "in the face" about their mistakes.

Opposition demands

On Tuesday, at its extraordinary congress the opposition party Amtsakhara adopted a resolution that demanded to shift the referendum scheduled for July 10 to autumn 2016 "due to the impossibility of expressing free will" at the referendum.

At the referendum the people of the republic will ask the question: "Do you consider it necessary to hold early presidential elections in the Republic of Abkhazia?"

At the congress on Tuesday the opposition also demanded resignation of Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba. At the end of the Congress the opponents picketed the Interior Ministry for several hours.

Speaking at a local TV on Tuesday night the President of Abkhazia said it was an attempt to destabilize the situation in the country.

The situation stabilized and the crowd began to disperse late on Tuesday only after it was announced about the dismissal the head of the Interior Ministry.

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