SOCHI, November 13. /TASS/. A part of the Abkhazian opposition, which resorted to forbidden tactics and challenged negotiations on the investment agreement with Russia, harms not only Abkhazia itself, but its image in general, as well as its relations with Russia, said Konstantin Zatulin, Member of the Russian State Duma and First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs.
On Monday evening, five representatives of the Abkhazian opposition were detained, and three were charged with disorderly conduct. Later, their supporters organized a protest rally in the capital, Sukhum, and blocked car traffic on three nearby bridges. The bridge over the Kodor River was reopened shortly, but the two bridges over the Gumista River remained blocked until the authorities released all previously detained activists. After their release, the bridges were unblocked.
"At least some members of the opposition do not shy away from resorting to underhanded tactics, somewhat widespread in Abkhazia - that is, to incite the crowd against lawmakers and the authorities in order to challenge the ongoing negotiations with Russia and the agreements being signed regarding investments, property guarantees, and other matters that have remained neglected in Abkhazia, preventing it from developing properly with the involvement of investments," Zatulin said. "Actually, this is not the first time that the extreme part of the opposition has brought up this topic, harming not only the authorities, but the image of Abkhazia in general and its relations with Russia."
Zatulin also linked the recent events in Abkhazia with the upcoming 2025 presidential elections. Meanwhile, he noted that the people of Abkhazia do not take part in these events en masse, adding that only a small group of activists, who portray their actions as an expression of the will of the entire Abkhazian people, are involved.
According to the lawmaker, this sort of action should be rejected by the majority.
"And they do, actually. I don’t see any apocalyptic consequences of all that; I believe that this whole situation is heading toward the making of necessary decisions, and I hope these decisions will be made. Two of them have already been made, and the last one [will be made] on Friday," Zatulin concluded.