MFA Georgia Responds to So-called Elections in Abkhazia

Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia is holding so-called “presidential elections” to reveal the region’s new de facto leader, among the nine candidates, including the current “President” Raul Khajimba.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has responded to holding so-called “presidential elections” in occupied Abkhazia Region.

In a statement released on August 25, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said elections in occupied Abkhazia violate Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and fully contradict with the fundamental norms of the international law.

“The so-called ‘presidential elections’ are yet another futile attempt to legalise ethnic cleansing, ongoing illegal occupation and factual annexation in the region of Abkhazia”, Georgian Foreign Ministry stated.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia refers to the conduct of the so-called presidential elections in occupied Abkhazia region, as another illegal act directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.
 
While hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees are expelled from Abkhazia region as a result of ethnic cleansing, and the occupying power fully controls the situation on the ground, it is obvious that in such circumstances the so-called elections cannot have any legal effect, as they fully contradict the fundamental norms and principles of international law.
 
It is evident that the so-called presidential elections represent yet another futile attempt to legitimize the ethnic cleansing, the ongoing illegal occupation and steps towards factual annexation of Abkhazia region. The international community will never accept the attempt of forceful change of sovereign borders of Georgia, as well as other illegal steps of Russia in terms of erection of barbed wire fences along the occupation line, military build-up and grave violations of fundamental human rights on the ground.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia calls on the Russian Federation to respect the undertaken international obligations, fulfil the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, and reverse its illegal decision on recognition of so-called independence of the occupied regions.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia also appeals to the international community to give a due assessment and take effective measures to counter the illegal processes taking place in the occupied territories”, reads the statement released by MFA Georgia.

The second round of so-called elections is expected to be held in Abkhazia. As a result of the first round of the "Presidential elections" held in the region, so-called president Raul Khajimba is the leader with 26,6 % of votes. 

So-called “central election commission” stated on Monday evening that votes have been counted at 150 out of 154 polling stations and according to the counting results, Raul Khajimba received 26,6%, Alkhas Kvitsiani - 24,6%, and former so-called deputy foreign minister Oleg Arshba - 24,9% of votes.

According to the preliminary results, the second round of so-called elections is expected to be held between Raul Khajimba and Oleg Arshba.

The second round of “elections” is scheduled for September 8.

Related Story: Second Round of So-called Elections to be Held in Occupied Abkhazia

By Ana Dumbadze