Parliament in breakaway Abkhazia voted on June 5 in favor of dismissing general prosecutor Safarbei Mikanba.

21 lawmakers out of 25 present at the session of the 35-seat parliament were in favor and four were against in the secret-ballot vote, according to the Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress.

Dismissal of the prosecutor general was among original demands of opposition demonstrators, when they gathered in Sokhumi afternoon on May 27, which later on the same day grew into demands of Ankvab’s resignation. Heads of Gali, Tkvarcheli and Ochamchire districts were dismissed by speaker of the parliament, Valery Bganba, who is now an acting president of the breakaway region. Two vice-premiers, Indira Vardania and Beslan Eshba, were also dismissed. Secretary of the breakaway region’s security council, Nugzar Ashuba, an ally of ex-Abkhaz leader Alexander Ankvab, stepped down on June 4.

No one has yet announced about intention to run in the early presidential election set for August 24; registration of candidates will start on June 25 and the deadline will expire on July 14.

Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, one of the political parties united in Coordinating Council, which led protests against Ankvab, called on the political forces on June 5 to run in the snap presidential elections “with united front.” Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia is led by MP Raul Khajimba. Meanwhile Amtsakhara, a political party which was supporting ex-Abkhaz leader Ankvab, said that it is considering strategy for the upcoming election.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Alexander Lukashevich, said at a news conference in Moscow on June 5 that Russia continues close cooperation with the acting leadership of Abkhazia. Lukashevich said that the Abkhaz “government is functioning in a normal mode.” Finance minister, Vladimir Delba, became an acting prime minister after Ankvab’s ally Leonid Lakerbaia resigned.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that stability will be preserved in the run up to the snap presidential election and also added that there are no threats to Russian citizens willing to spend summer holidays in Abkhazia.