"People's Rally" to be held in Abkhazia on May 30

People’s rally in Abkhazia

On May 30 a “People’s rally” organized by the opposition is scheduled in Abkhazia. It is expected that several thousand people will take part, which will take place in front of the presidential palace in Sukhum. Over the past ten years, similar protests have been held in Abkhazia twice – in 2014 and 2020 – and both ended with the storming of the presidential palace and the resignation of the president.

The opposition believes that all other methods to get through to the authorities have been exhausted. President Aslan Bzhaniya has ignored all proposals to dismiss the government headed by Alexander Ankvab and cancel or impose a moratorium on a number of bills, including the transfer of the estate in Pitsunda to Russia and the construction and sale of apartments to foreigners.

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The opposition tried to involve the parliament in the case so that it would consider the issue of a vote of confidence in the government and adopt, after consultation with all political forces, a roadmap for reforms. The Parliament, however, took no action.

“If Parliament took responsibility and accepted the issue of a vote of no confidence, there would be no rally. If the president had understood the responsibility that the Abkhaz people had endowed him with and had made a decision to dismiss the bankrupt government, there would also have been no rally. In the end, Alexander Ankvab himself can take and write a letter [of resignation]. Why force thousands of people to express their discontent,” opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba says.

Not only the opposition is preparing for the upcoming rally, but also the authorities themselves — they are mobilizing their supporters and removing posters from the walls with calls to go to the rally.

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