Opposition Parties Urge Abkhazian Parliament to Postpone Judicial Agreement Ratification

SUKHUM / AQW'A ― Several opposition parties in Abkhazia are calling on the Parliament to postpone the ratification of an agreement with Russia on the mutual recognition and enforcement of judicial and arbitral decisions in economic cases. In a joint statement, they accuse President Aslan Bzhania of exerting unprecedented pressure on the legislative body and employing questionable political tactics, including alleged external influence and attempts at blackmail, to push through the agreement.

On 25 September, the Parliament of Abkhazia plans to consider ratifying the agreement titled "On Recognition and Enforcement of Judicial and Arbitral Decisions in Economic Cases."

The opposition parties and public organisations allege that initiatives to collect signatures in state-funded institutions "failed spectacularly," indicating that President Bzhania's "anti-popular agenda has collapsed." They regard the Parliament as "the only legitimate authority" and "guarantor of political stability," attributing its increased public trust to the deputies' firm stance on previous contentious issues.

"We call upon the deputies of Parliament to postpone the consideration of the bill on ratification of the Agreement on Judicial Decisions, as a decision made under such pressure can hardly be considered legitimate," the statement reads. The opposition suggests that these issues are "personal commitments of Aslan Bzhania to various circles outside Abkhazia" and propose that he include them in his upcoming presidential election campaign.

Since 1 September, Moscow has suspended funding for the Abkhazian budget, specifically demanding the approval of this agreement.

Earlier, President Bzhania defended the agreement in an interview with Abkhazian Television, stating: "This agreement poses no risk to our country. It opens up opportunities for honest businesspeople to expand their economic activities and generally benefit our state. Those who do not want to accept this are hoping they can get a loan from a bank and then not repay it. But such people are an absolute minority. By misunderstanding the nature of this agreement and not accepting it, we are shielding potential fraudsters and closing opportunities for dozens who want to conduct honest business."

The full statement is as follows:

"It is no longer a secret in society that all these issues are personal commitments of Aslan Bzhania to various circles outside Abkhazia."

As it has come to our attention, the agenda of the upcoming parliamentary session includes the issue of ratifying the "Agreement between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation on the Recognition and Enforcement of Judicial and Arbitral Decisions in Economic Cases."

In this context, we deem it important to note that over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed unprecedented pressure on the country's legislative body from Aslan Bzhania.

The dirtiest political tactics, bordering on outright blackmail, have been employed. The authorities have also involved external stakeholders who, without any hesitation, openly impose their views on the Abkhazian people through various information platforms.

An initiative to collect signatures in state-funded institutions was organised, which ultimately failed spectacularly.

All this indicates that Aslan Bzhania's anti-popular agenda has collapsed. The authorities, in their agony, are making last-ditch efforts to fulfil at least some of the personal commitments of the "guarantor of the Constitution."

As of today, the only legitimate authority remaining in the Republic of Abkhazia is the Parliament, which currently serves as a guarantor of political stability. It should not be forgotten that the well-deserved increase in trust in Parliament is due to the firm stance of the majority of deputies on the apartment issue. Despite personal pressure from Aslan Bzhania, the Parliament rejected this harmful initiative.

In this regard, we call upon the deputies of Parliament to postpone the consideration of the bill on ratification of the Agreement on Judicial Decisions, as a decision made under such pressure can hardly be considered legitimate.

It is no longer a secret in society that all these issues are personal commitments of Aslan Bzhania to various circles outside Abkhazia.

Only a few months remain until the next presidential elections. We propose that Aslan Bzhania base all these issues on his election campaign, giving him an excellent opportunity to assess the "high" level of trust in him personally and in his anti-popular agenda. At this stage, we suggest he focus on more pressing issues—for example, preparing for the winter period and ensuring the population is supplied with electricity during the winter months.

• Republican Political Party "Forum of National Unity of Abkhazia" (FNEA)
• Republican Political Party "Apsny"
• Republican Public Organisation "Aruaa"
• Republican Public Organisation "Abkhazian People's Movement" (AND)
• Republican Public Organisation "Our Capital"