The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia, Walter Butba, drew a parallel between the Abkhaz opposition and the Georgian special services. In response, the opposition recalled his lack iof participation in the Georgian-Abkhazian war of 1992-93 and accused him of insulting veterans of that war. Butba then apologized publicly.
Butba made his initial remarks about the opposition during a meeting of government members with representatives of pro-presidential parties and public organizations. Commenting on the opposition’s intentions to hold a rally in front of the presidential palace in Sukhum on May 30, Butba said:
“In the old days, if we remember, the Georgian special services on the territory of Abkhazia carried out a series of terrorist attacks before the summer holiday season in order to disrupt the summer holiday season. Today, these forms are impossible, but I don’t want to compare our political opponents in any way, but somehow this coincidence confuses me a little. Of course, they want to disrupt the summer holiday season so that the state does not develop productively, because this is the only period of time when we can receive income for our development.”
Abkhazian opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba immediately reacted to the minister’s words on social networks:
“I want to ask Minister Walter Butba, who today compared those who disagreed with the anti-people government with Georgians, where was he when we fought against these same Georgians in 92-93? Why, in 1992, as a cadet of the Saratov Higher Military School […] did he not go to defend his homeland?”
War veterans, especially those of the opposition veteran organization Aruaa, were also offended. They demanded a public apology from the minister. First this demand was put forward in writing, and then representatives of Aruaa themselves appeared at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to personally express their demand to the minister.
Walter Butba recorded a video apology.
“If anyone took my words as offensive – although I repeat, I had no such intention – I apologize to the veterans who won the freedom of our country.”
