Former President of Abkhazia says opposition protests have damaged the republic's image
Opposition protests in Abkhazia "have damaged the image" of the self-proclaimed republic, but "the situation has not reached the point of no return." This was stated by former President Aslan Bzhania, who recently resigned.
He also criticized the opposition, noting that Abkhazia's future largely depends on "fair, good-neighborly and mutually beneficial relations with Russia." Bzhania also promised to run for the head of the republic. They will be held in February 2025.
Earlier, the opposition called for immediate constitutional reforms. In particular, this concerns the consolidation of a mixed majoritarian-proportional electoral system for parliamentary elections and the redistribution of powers between the branches of government to transition to a mixed parliamentary-presidential form of government.
Let us recall that on November 19, the Abkhazian parliament accepted the resignation of President Aslan Bzhania. Thus, as a result of protests, the opposition was able to achieve the fulfillment of its demand. The reason for the rallies was the ratification of the investment agreement with Russia by the president. Many residents feared that the arrival of Russian business in the unrecognized republic would leave them without work.
