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Bagapsh’s supporter celebrating |
The two main Abkhaz presidential rivals, Raul Khajimba and Sergey Bagapsh,
held talks in an attempt to defuse tensions in the region, which escalated on
November 12 after supporters of the opposition candidate Bagapsh burst into
major governmental buildings and captured breakaway Abkhazia’s Parliament,
President’s Administration and the Governmental Office.
Sergey Bagapsh
told supporters that he has offered Khajimba to form a coalition government. He
said that all the presidential candidates who ran in disputed October 3
elections should be represented in the government. Raul Khajimba made no
comments after the talks.
Reports say that things are quiet in Sokhumi at
the moment. Earlier, Bagapsh called on his supporters to preserves the calm in
the region and urged them to disband. Sergey Bagapsh addressed his supporters
from one of the windows of the Parliament, which was stormed by his supporters
on Friday, according to the Regnum news agency.
Bagapsh confirmed that
several people were wounded while his supporters were capturing the Parliament.
Several shots were fired, as a guard tried in vain to prevent opposition
protesters from breaking into the Governmental Office.
“We should remain
calm and do the maximum we can to preserve peace in Abkhazia… We will take over
power through the peaceful means,” Bagapsh said.
Report say that after
Bagapsh’s address his supporters started to disband. However, RIA Novosti news
agency reported that armed supporters of Bagapsh still remain in the
governmental buildings.
Earlier, on November 12, two simultaneous rallies of supporters of Sergey
Bagapsh and Raul Khajimba were held in Sokhumi. Around 700 supporters of the
pro-governmental presidential candidate Raul Khajimba, who demands repeat
elections, were gathered outside the Abkhaz Governmental Office; while up to
3,000 supporters of the opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh, who claims victory
in October 3 elections, were gathered on Freedom Square.
In a statement issued on November 11, outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba
warned the Abkhaz people over a civil confrontation threat and called for repeat
elections.
“The October [presidential] elections failed to reveal the real will of
voters and triggered a threat of civil confrontation. Under such conditions, I,
as acting Head of State, had to sign a decree over the holding of repeat
elections in the Republic of Abkhazia,” the appeal reads.
The de facto
President stressed that the authorities would do their utmost to prevent any
threat of civil confrontation and hold re-vote.
“Only repeat elections
conducted without any pressure on the voters and authorities will help the
country overcome the current crisis. I pin our hopes on the presidential
candidates and will shake hands with that candidate who wins the elections,” the
de facto President added.
According to the October 29 order of the outgoing President, the repeat
elections should be held within two months. But Sergey Bagapsh, who claims a
victory in the elections, plans to be inaugurated as the President of the
breakaway region on December 6.