After two days of consultations with unnamed Russian officials, the two main contenders for breakaway Abkhazia’s presidency Raul Khajimba and Sergey Bagapsh returned back to Abkhazia on November 3, but it remains unclear yet whether the trip to Moscow will help them find a breakthrough in the political crisis, which erupted in the unrecognized republic after the disputed October 3 presidential elections.
Pro-governmental presidential candidate Raul Khajimba said that there are possibilities for an agreement between the two candidates; while opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh insists that he has won the polls and should be inaugurated as President in early December.
Both Bagapsh and Khajimba visited Moscow on November 1-2. Reports said that they held talks with officials of the Russian National Security Council.
“Together with Sergey Bagapsh, we have discussed possible ways out of the current crisis in Abkhazia. Moscow’s climate is better for finding a solution,” pro-governmental presidential candidate Raul Khajimba told Itar-Tass news agency on November 2.
“I feel that options to overcome the crisis exist. Everything depends on Sergey Bagapsh and me,” he added. However, he refrained from specifying details of a possible agreement which could lead to a breakthrough.
Opposition Abkhaz presidential candidate Sergey Bagapsh reiterated that he is strongly against holding repeat presidential elections, as is demanded by Raul Khajimba.
“Elections have been held and the president has already been elected,” he told RIA Novosti news agency on November 3.
The Central Election Commission announced Bagapsh president-elect with 50.08% of votes; however, Khajimba challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. The latter rejected Khajimba’s appeal on October 28 and, in turn, confirmed Bagapsh as president-elect. However, Khajimba’s supporters stormed the Supreme Court’s building and the court revised its decision and ruled to hold a re-vote. Later a judge admitted that he made the last ruling under pressure by Khajimba’s supporters. On October 29 outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba ordered the holding of repeat elections within two months, a move which triggered protests by the opposition and led to further tensions in the unrecognized republic.
However, despite the strained situation, both candidates are refraining from undertaking radical steps and are afraid of civil confrontations. All the political forces in Abkhazia warn that the election turmoil threatens the region’s de facto independence.
Meanwhile, Georgian officials, who are closely watching the developments in the breakaway region, are irritated by Russia’s open interference in Abkhazia’s recent developments.
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava said on November 2, while visiting the Russian capital, that “the fate of Abkhazia’s new President will be decided in Moscow. That is why both of [the candidates] are currently here [in Moscow].”
Russia’s open support towards pro-governmental candidate Raul Khajimba became vivid after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Khajimba, then Prime Minister of Abkhazia, in the southern Russian town of Sochi on August 29.
Visiting Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at a news briefing in Moscow on November 2 that Georgia is “upset” by Russia’s active involvement in the developments in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia.
“Of course we were upset when Russian President Vladimir Putin met with [then] Abkhaz Prime Minister [and pro-governmental presidential candidate] Raul Khajimba [in Sochi on August 29]. Can you imagine Russia’s reaction if [Georgian] President Mikheil Saakashvili meets with [Chechen rebel leader] Aslan Maskhadov?” Nino Burjanadze said.
In separate comments made in a live interview to the Ekho Moskvy radio station on November 2, Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze accused Moscow of employing a double standard policy when dealing with conflicts in the Caucasus. She said Moscow is fighting against separatists on its territory in Chechnya while supporting separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.