New Acting Head of Gali District Appointed

According to the statistical data available in Sokhumi, as of January 1, 2018, 30,259 persons lived in Gali district. Sokhumi deprived the majority of them of the so-called Abkhaz citizenship in 2014 and in 2017 and started issuing residence permits to them, depriving Gali residents of their political rights and possibilities to participate in non-recognized presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Sokhumi.

According to Abkhaz laws, the president appoints the head of district administration, while the local population has the right to elect Sakrebulo (a local council); however, Gali residents have not participated in local elections since 2011. Sokhumi fails to hold local elections in Gali after depriving local residents of citizenship in 2014.

It is important to note that Gali district area under Russia-backed Abkhaz administration is significantly smaller than the traditional Gali municipality area, that being in place since Soviet occupation years, Georgia recognizes to this day. In the mid-1990s, Abkhaz created a new Tkvarcheli municipality at the expense of Gali as well as Ochamchire municipalities. Under Abkhaz rule, part of Gali municipality, namely Georgian-majority Achigvara village, was also ceded to Ochamchire district.