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Opposition in Abkhazia demands early presidential election

A Central Election Commission official has told TASS that if the president agrees to resign today, an early election should be held within three months

© Anzhela Kuchuberia/TASS

SUKHUM, November 15. /TASS/. Opposition activists in Abkhazia, who have stormed a compound of government buildings, are demanding the resignation of President Aslan Bzhania and an early election of the head of the republic.

"At this stage a group of deputies has been formed and sent to the president," one of the opposition leaders, leader of the non-governmental organization Abkhazian People's Movement, Adgur Ardzinba, told the protesters.

"The sole question on the agenda is the resignation of the president and an early election. At the moment we are waiting for an answer. We have asked for doing this to ensure the situation should not aggravate further and there be no clashes," Ardzinba said.

A Central Election Commission official has told TASS that if the president agrees to resign today, an early election should be held within three months.

"Tentatively by the end of February," the CEC official said.

Bzhania won the March 22, 2020 repeat election with 56.5% of the votes. On April 23, he took office. According to the constitutional law On the Election of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia, an election is called by parliament "no later than four months in advance and held no earlier than three months and no later than two months before the expiration of the president's term of office." The term of the current head of state expires in the spring of 2025.

Situation in Abkhazia

On November 15, the parliament of Abkhazia was to consider the ratification of the agreement with Russia on the implementation of investment projects by Russian legal entities. The session was canceled because the legislators failed to approve its agenda. The opposition disagreed and demanded that the parliament be reconvened to remove the question from the agenda altogether.

Several hundred people gathered in front of the parliament building to demonstrate. They managed to surround the entire compound of government buildings and storm it. Abkhazia's Security Council called the situation strained.

Earlier, Abkhazia’s President Aslan Bzhania said pressure on the members of parliament was impermissible. He also called on the people not to yield to provocations.

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