No opposition in Abkhazia’s new Public Chamber: what could it mean?

A new composition of Abkhazia’s Public Chamber has been formed, with no representatives of the opposition included — opposition candidates failed to pass the selection process.

Under the established procedure, one third of the chamber’s members are appointed by the president. Another third is delegated by local authorities — city and district assemblies. The remaining third is then selected by the newly appointed members themselves through a рейтингового voting process, choosing from candidates nominated by civil society organisations.

The opposition media outlet Respublika points out that, formally, more than 90% of the “new” chamber consists of the same members as before. In effect, they voted themselves back in.

According to Respublika, responsibility for the absence of representatives from opposition-linked public organisations lies both with the chamber’s members and with the executive authorities, including the president.

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“If a significant part of society is not represented in such institutions, the question arises: what is their purpose?

The outlet predicts that if tensions between the authorities and the opposition rise again — as they did in November 2024, leading to the early resignation of the then president — no member of the Public Chamber will be able to act as a mediator to resolve the conflict.

“You create the conditions for crises yourselves, and then call for peace and calm with innocent faces,” Respublika concludes.

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No opposition in Abkhazia’s Public Chamber