Abkhazia’s president to hold regular consultations with opposition figures

Abkhazia’s president has launched regular consultations with opposition groups through a newly established Consultative Council of Political Forces under the presidency, aimed at what officials describe as “uniting efforts for the country’s future”.

The first meeting was attended by leaders of the pro-government parties Amtsakhara and Aitaira, as well as representatives of two opposition organisations — the veterans’ movement Aruaa and the party Forum of People’s Unity.

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“Today’s meeting can be seen as the first step towards creating a platform where we will jointly discuss the most important issues for our homeland,” President Badra Gunba said as he opened the first session.

He said the Consultative Council should become a space where political parties and public organisations can combine efforts to address key issues related to the republic’s development and to strengthen its independence and sovereignty.

Gunba stressed that the Consultative Council is open to all political forces willing to engage in constructive dialogue and joint discussions on matters important to the country.

“Only together, through dialogue and mutual respect, can we ensure the country’s sustainable development and preserve everything our people fought for,” Badra Gunba said.

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Badra Gunba stated that “no citizen of Abkhazia will ever be handed over to a foreign state”

Timur Gulia, head of the opposition movement Aruaa, says the creation of the Consultative Council is a timely step.

“People, like us, expect a positive outcome. We all share one common goal — strengthening statehood and moving forward,” Gulia says.

Ordinary citizens on social media have also reacted positively to the establishment of the Consultative Council, expressing hope that ongoing dialogue between the authorities and the opposition could ease long-standing political tensions that many see as chronic.

However, scepticism about the council’s future work remains widespread. In an anonymous poll conducted by the popular Telegram channel Abkhazia-Centre, only around one-third of respondents described the initiative as a “healthy political process”, while half said they expected the format to amount to little more than “people meeting, talking and then going their separate ways”.

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Consultative Council established in Abkhazia