Abkhazian President refuses to postpone referendum

Raul Khadjimba has decisively refused to fulfil the demand of the opposition to postpone the referendum on the early presidential elections to the beginning of autumn. The Abkhazian President has described the opposition's actions as an attempt to destabilize the situation in Abkhazia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 5, in Sukhumi, activists organized an opposition rally with the demand to dismiss Leonid Dzapshba, Abkhazian Minister of Internal Affairs, and to postpone the referendum on the early elections of the president of the republic. President Raul Khadjimba has announced the temporary suspension of Leonid Dzapshba, and after that the protesters freed the square in front of the building of the Abkhazian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

"The today's events are an attempt to destabilize the situation in the country by gathering those opposition forces, which just some time ago raised the question of holding a referendum and got the right to hold it," said Raul Khadjimba at a briefing held in the evening of July 5.

"I will not postpone the referendum. Otherwise, I will violate the law by myself. As far as the Minister of Internal Affairs is concerned, then there are materials that have been sent to the Prosecutor's Office, and they are engaged in the corresponding investigation. Let's see the results," stated the Abkhazian President as quoted by the "Apsnypress".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.