MOSCOW, June 01 /ITAR-TASS/. Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the CIS and Eurasian integration committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house, said on Sunday he did not rule out that Alexander Ankvab, who has resigned as Abkhazian president, might run for president in the early presidential elections scheduled for August 24.

“If he decides to take part in the elections, his chances cannot be described as zero,” Slutsky told Itar-Tass, adding that the parliament’s decision to appoint the early presidential polls on August 24 was “the golden mean.” “This span of time will be enough for all candidates, including the new old president Ankvab, to prepare their programme,” he noted.

Slutsky said that Ankvab’s resignation was a path “to civil balance” in the republic. “We cannot let the situation develop after the Ukrainian scenario, we cannot let the country split into two camps - Ankvab’s supporters and opponents, we cannot let any more further clashes and confrontation,” the Russian lawmaker noted. “That is why these hard decisions by the president and the parliament are geared first of all at achieving peace and accord in the republic.