"He did not say no"- Abkhazia's president and opposition reach a temporary compromise

Opposition and president of Abkhazia reach compromise

President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania and the united opposition were able to come to an agreement after a day of street confrontation on December 21. The President received a list of requirements, the discussion of which should begin in early 2022, immediately after the holidays.

Although a violent change of power has been avoided, local experts believe that the president should hardly consider it his victory. To avoid a new crisis, he will have to negotiate.

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Upon the completion of negotiations with President, leader of Abkhazia’s opposition Adgur Ardzinba informed protesters of the requirements, the implementation of which would relieve political tension:

• Postponing of March 2022 parliamentary elections for a year and holding them under a new mixed system.
• Initiating the development of a procedure for removing the president from power.
• Freezing the president’s initiatives to lift the ban on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners in Abkhazia, as well as plans to denationalize the energy sector.

“The president did not say ‘no’ to it, and expressed his readiness to negotiate”, said Adgur Ardzinba.

In the modern history of Abkhazia, the presidential palace has been taken by storm several times. Current President Aslan Bzhania came to power in early 2020 exactly this way.

Until then, twice more – in 2004 and 2014 – power was changed by storming the administration and expelling the president before his term had expired.

This time, the authorities have seriously anticipated the repetition of such a scenario. On the morning of December 21, when the opposition announced the beginning of a street protest, the complex of government buildings resembled an impregnable fortress.

The entire block was surrounded by metal fences welded to each other. Along the perimeter, the entrances to the complex were blocked with school buses and police cars. All security forces were mobilized at the scene.

During the filming of the rally, the film crew of the Abkhazian television was injured. The driver and operator were beaten. A video camera was taken away from one of the operators, and was later broken:

Only closer to midnight, the opposing sides manage to come to a compromise. And only after that, opposition supporters ended the siege of the presidential palace and demands for his resignation.

Negotiations in the parliament building took place directly between President Aslan Bzhania and opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba.

Aslan Bzhania’s term ends in April 2025. However, in order to remain president until then, he will have to negotiate with his opponents. The refusal to do so will immediately lead to another attempt of the opposition to seize power.

President Bzhania will have to take the first step to sit down at the negotiating table immediately after the New Year holidays, otherwise, the deepening of the internal political crisis will not be avoided.

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