Posted on 11/13/2004 6:27:49 AM PST by Snapple
Russian warns of Abkhazia intent By Natalia Antelava BBC News, Tbilisi
Russia may intervene in Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia to protect its interests there, if a post- election crisis escalates further. In response, Georgia has called on the international community to protect the country's sovereignty.
A decade-long row between Georgia and Russia over Abkhazia is getting worse.
One person is reported to have died in clashes on Friday between government and opposition supporters in the Abkhaz regional capital Sukhumi.
Moscow has accused the opposition in Abkhazia of attempting to overthrow the Russian-backed government and has pledged to intervene if the crisis isn't resolved.
Georgia has responded angrily, accusing Moscow of violating Georgia's sovereignty with unacceptable statements.
The dispute follows Friday's rally, during which supporters of the Abkhaz opposition leader, Sergey Bagapsh, stormed government buildings in Sukhumi.
They later agreed to give control of the buildings back to state security.
But Moscow said it holds the opposition fully responsible for the crisis.
Disputed election
Tensions have been mounting ever since the official results of Abkhazia's first ever presidential election in October declared Mr Bagapsh's victory.
Raul Khadzhimba, a pro-government candidate, and the man backed by Moscow, asked for a recount.
The result was still the same, with Mr Bagapsh as the winner.
Now, amid continuous demonstrations, Mr Bagapsh is preparing for his inauguration, while the government is calling for a new election.
Moscow backs the government's demand.
Russia dominant
Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in a bloody war in the beginning of the 1990s.
Ever since then, Russia has been the only lifeline for the province and a major influence on its life and politics.
Mr Bagapsh says union with Georgia is out of the question, but neither will he let Moscow dictate the rules.
Many fear the troubled province is heading for serious civil unrest and leading the rest of Georgia into another crisis with Russia.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4008549.stm
Published: 2004/11/13 00:05:15 GMT
© BBC MMIV
Yes, but it has blown up in his face at Beslan.
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2-tca.asp
ABKHAZ PRESIDENT REAFFIRMS NEED FOR RESTRAINT, REPEAT ELECTION...
In a statement released on 11 November, outgoing Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba appealed to the population to show restraint and responsibility, ITAR-TASS and rustavi2.com reported. He repeated that the only way to defuse the standoff resulting from the disputed 3 October ballot to elect his successor is to hold new elections. On 11 October, the Central Election Commission proclaimed Chernomorenergo head Sergei Bagapsh the winner with 50.08 percent of the vote. The Abkhaz Supreme Court upheld that ruling on 28 October then rescinded its decision less than 24 hours later under pressure from supporters of rival candidate and former Prime Minister Raul Khadjimba, who backs Ardzinba's 29 October statement that the 3 October ballot was invalid and new elections should be held. LF
...BUT STANDOFF TURNS VIOLENT
Both Bagapsh and Khadjimba convened meetings of their supporters in Sukhum on 12 November, Russian media reported. Some 3,000 of Khadjimba's supporters gathered outside the government building at midday local time, while a similar number gathered for a "pan-national assembly" Bagapsh called on Liberty Square one hour later. Such assemblies were traditionally held in times of crisis at the sacred grove at Lykhny, and decisions reached at such meetings were considered to have the force of law (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," 5 November 2004). Bagapsh argued on 11 November that if 20,000 people assemble to show they support him, they have the right to confirm that he is the legitimate president. The republic's population is variously estimated at between 170,000-300,000. Khadjimba for his part objects that the Abkhaz Constitution does not recognize the legitimacy of either a pan-national assembly or any decision adopted at such a gathering. Khadjimba and Bagapsh reportedly met on the morning of 12 November but failed to reach agreement, after which Bagapsh's supporters forced their way into the building housing the presidential offices, ITAR-TASS reported. LF
GEORGIA, SOUTH OSSETIA EXCHANGE MUTUAL RECRIMINATIONS
Despite the agreement reached in Sochi on 5 November on demilitarization of the South Ossetian conflict zone (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 8 November 2004), night-time exchanges of fire are reportedly continuing. Caucasus Press reported on 11 November that the Georgian-populated villages of Tamarasheni and Kurta were fired on the previous night, while South Ossetian government officials claimed that Tskhinvali, the capital of the unrecognized republic, was subjected to artillery fire from those villages, ITAR-TASS reported. On 10 November, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said that Tbilisi will comply with the 20 November deadline for withdrawing from the conflict zone all but the 500 peacekeepers it is allowed to deploy there. But South Ossetian Minister Without Portfolio Boris Chochiev told Interfax on 11 November that Tbilisi has brought additional forces to the conflict zone since the Sochi demilitarization agreement was signed. Also on 11 November, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity briefed government officials and legislators in Tskhinvali on his talks in Sochi with Zhvania and reaffirmed South Ossetia's commitment to resolving the conflict peacefully, Caucasus Press and Interfax reported. LF
And so it begins.
The reforming of the Soviet Union, that is.
I know this is extremely trivial, but how do you pronounce'Abkhazia' and 'Bagapsh'?
Analysis: Abkhaz Standoff Turns Violent
By Liz Fuller
http://www.rferl.org/features/features_Article.aspx?m=11&y=2004&id=A343413B-213C-422E-82C8-6FA842AA82F7
Former Prime Minister Khadjimba voting on 3 October
Several people were injured, one seriously, on 12 November when supporters of Abkhaz presidential candidate Sergei Bagapsh forced their way into the building in Sukhum that houses the government and presidential offices, proclaiming Bagapsh the winner of the 3 October ballot to elect a successor to outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba.
The incident was the most dramatic to date in the six-week deadlock that followed the 3 October election. On 11 October, the Abkhaz Central Election Commission announced that Bagapsh, a former prime minister who now heads the energy concern Chernomorenergo, won the ballot with 50.08 percent of the vote, defeating four rival candidates. But Bagapsh's closest challenger, then Prime Minister Raul Khadjimba, appealed that ruling to the Abkhaz Supreme Court, claiming widespread falsification of the ballot. After repeated postponements, the Supreme Court first upheld on 28 October the election commission ruling that Bagapsh won the ballot, then rescinded its own decision less than 24 hours later under pressure from Khadjimba's supporters. Also on 29 October, Ardzinba, who on 18 August publicly endorsed Khadjimba as his preferred successor, issued a statement calling on the commission to schedule repeat elections -- which under the Abkhaz Constitution only the parliament is empowered to do.
Khadjimba backed Ardzinba's argument that only a repeat vote can resolve the deadlock, while Bagapsh continued to insist that he is the legally elected president, and has scheduled his inauguration for 6 or 7 December. Both men visited Moscow last week where they met with senior Russian security officials who reportedly tried to pressure Bagapsh to agree to a repeat election, which he refused to do. Bagapsh told journalists in Sukhum on 3 November that he hopes to reach a compromise agreement with Khadjimba. In an interview published in the Russian daily "Vremya novostei" on 10 November, Bagapsh said he offered Khadjimba any ministerial post he chose in a Bagapsh government, but Khadjimba failed to respond to that offer. Both men visited Moscow last week where they met with senior Russian security officials who reportedly tried to pressure Bagapsh to agree to a repeat election, which he refused to do.
Bagapsh also said on his return from Moscow that he sees two alternative ways to resolve the deadlock: either the Abkhaz parliament (most of whose 35 members support Bagapsh) should rule on the legality and validity of the 3 October ballot, or Bagapsh would convene a "pan-national assembly" to decide on the future president. Such assemblies were traditionally held at the sacred grove at Lykhny during times of crisis in Abkhazia, and decisions reached at such gatherings were considered to have the force of law. But a member of Ardzinba's staff told ITAR-TASS on 11 November that the Abkhaz Constitution does not recognize the legitimacy either of a pan-national assembly or any decision adopted at such a gathering.
Bagapsh duly scheduled such a pan-national gathering for 1 p.m. local time on 12 November on Liberty Square in Sukhum; Khadjimba called a rival meeting of his supporters one hour earlier outside the central government building. Both meetings attracted some 3,000 supporters, according to ITAR-TASS; Bagapsh and Khadjimba met earlier on 12 November but again failed to reach a compromise agreement.
Nodar Khashba, whom Ardzinba named to succeed Khadjimba as prime minister on 6 October, was forced to flee the government building as the demonstrators forced their way in; his whereabouts and that of Ardzinba is not known. Bagapsh's supporters began to disperse after he appealed to them to "remain calm" and to "preserve peace and stability," Caucasus Press reported. He said he will embark tomorrow on a political dialogue with all forces that hope for Abkhazia to flourish. He reaffirmed that "we will come to power legally." Describing Khadjimba as "a younger brother and friend," he said he "will do all in my power to make him a member of my team."
[For the latest news on the tensions in Abkhazia, see RFE/RL's webpage on Abkhazia http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/subregion/abkhazia.html
and Georgia. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarchive/country/georgia.html]
Some people say that Putin, far from fighting the Islamists, is allied to them. That he viewed the Chechen war for independence as a nationalist war in which he could enlist Muslim fanatics against the Chechen government. Perhaps he is doing the same thing with Abkhazia against Georgia. That certainly seemed to be the case at the beginning of this mess, when Russia tried to split Georgia and grab part of it.
If so, Putin is being truly stupid. It reminds me of Christ's parable of the seven devils. Better the devil you know than invite in seven worse devils. The history of the Muslim threat to Russia's southern flank goes back a long, long way.
The Russian Czars and the Communists often manipulated religions and ethnic groups against each other to destroy their opponents.
The trouble is, you may not be able to control what you start. And the police and intelligence agencies are jsut interested in the money.
"The Russian Czars and the Communists often manipulated religions and ethnic groups against each other to destroy their opponents. "
Exactly, and they still do it. Also Russian minorities in Latvia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics are used for political purposes.
Exactly. I wish that people could see how they are used used and tossed like an old Kleenex.
Putin isn't acting to protect Christians or to kill Muslims. The point is to enhance imperial power.
He works both sides of the street.
And the irony is that these destructive tactics take on a life of their own after a while.
Had Mosccow been an ally to Maskhadov and supported a moderate independent Muslim country, this would have been a better bulwark against Islamic fundamentalism than destroying Chechnya and driving them into the arms of the fanatics.
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