Three candidates to compete in so called Presidential Elections in Abkhazia

Abkhazian de facto Central Election Commission has registered three candidates for the upcoming “presidential elections” in Georgia’s breakaway region. The de facto acting President Alexander Ankvab, the opposition leader Raul Khajimba and the de facto Prime Minister Sergey Shamba will run in so called snap presidential elections, according to the de facto CEC.

The “presidential” candidates have registered their candidates for the de facto vice president’s post as well. According to the Apsnypress news agency, Aleksander Ankvab has nominated de facto head of Gulripshi region, Mikhail Logua as his candidate for the “vice presidency”, Raul Khajimba has nominated the Chair of the First President’s Fund, Svetlana Jgerenaia on this position and Sergey Shamba has nominated de facto deputy Chairman of the so called State Committee of Sports and Youth, Shamil Adzinba.

Snap “presidential elections” were appointed in Abkhazia after the death of the de facto Abkhazian President, Sergey Baghapsh. 63-year old Bagapsh died in a hospital in Moscow on May 29 after a lung operation. The elections will be held on August 26, 2011.

Meanwhile, the de facto Abkhazian Parliament has sent out invitations to the international monitors to observe the snap “presidential elections,” Apsnypress reported on Tuesday. According to the news agency, the de facto Parliament has invited Chairman of the Senate of the republic of Uzbekistan, the Speaker of the Lawmaking Chamber of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of the republic of Tajikistan, the Chairman of the Estonian Parliament, the president of the National Assembly of Nicaragua the Speaker of the National Council of Turkey, the Chairman of the Latvian Seim and the Chairman of the Lithuanian Seim.

An official representative of OSCE has said that members of the organization will not monitor the upcoming “presidential elections” in Georgia’s breakaway region. OSCE observes only the elections in those countries, which are members of this organization and Abkhazia is not among them, Jens Eschenbacher of the OSCE said.

Tbilisi has repeatedly stated that Georgia considers the “presidential elections” in Abkhazia as “illegitimate.” Speaking to journalists on Monday, Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Nino Kalandadze said Tbilisi has “no special expectations” about the so called elections in Abkhazia. “Considering the fact that the elections are held violate Georgian legislation, this election is illegitimate, all the results of it will be illegitimate,” Kalandadze noted “This elections is held in conditions of occupation, with the supervision of occupant regimes and most of the Abkhazian population has no chance to participate in it. Thus, all components which can be linked with the legitimacy of the elections are violated in this case and we have no expectations that in this situation any positive results might exist.”

Kalandadze reiterated that Tbilisi does not consider the elections legitimate. “It can’t be any other way. Not only us but the whole international community considers this elections as illegitimate and does not recognize its results,” she said.