Russian Ambassador to Abkhazia labeled the opposition as 'marginals'
Russia and Abkhazian opposition
On June 12, the Russian Embassy in Abkhazia held a ceremonial reception in honor of Russia Day, inviting only representatives of the Abkhazian government and leaders of organizations loyal to it. The opposition was not invited to the event. The Russian Ambassador justified this by stating that the opposition are “marginals” who hold no significance for the republic.
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The celebration of Russia Day at the embassy is a traditional annual event, and this is the first time the organizers have ignored the opposition. This was highlighted by the opposition Telegram channel “Republic.”
A user with the nickname “Mikhail” commented on the post. According to the channel, this is none other than the Russian Ambassador Mikhail Shurgalin.
First and foremost, Shurgalin advised the channel’s authors to keep their conclusions to themselves, as they (in his opinion) are of no interest to anyone. When other users asked about the criteria for the invitation list to the event, he responded that the main criterion was “their significance for the Republic.”
Finally, “Mikhail,” presumably Shurgalin, explained what he means by significance:
Political organizations can only be considered those represented in parliament. All others are marginals.
The opposition predictably took offense and issued a joint statement, emphasizing that neither the form nor the content of the ambassador’s comments align with the established relations between Abkhazia and Russia, diplomatic etiquette, or even basic norms of decency.
“Such statements verge on interference in internal affairs, and we therefore demand that the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Abkhazia, M.A. Shurgalin, publicly comment on and clarify the situation,” read the statement from six opposition organizations (two parties, three public organizations, and a veterans’ movement).
It is worth noting that Abkhazia has a majoritarian system, meaning that parties as such are not represented in parliament at all.
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