A coalition of opposition parties in Abkhazia addressed the region’s leader Raul Khajimba on May 30 with a letter, demanding to fulfill the “socio-political stability agreement,” signed between the Abkhaz authorities and the opposition coalition on December 19, 2016. 

The agreement was signed amid political crisis in the region, when the opposition was demanding Khajimba’s resignation, which the latter refused to accept. The document recognized the existence of a political crisis, denounced the possibility of a violent political confrontation, and stipulated that Khajimba would offer official posts to the opposition, including two posts in the constitutional court, and four posts in the central election commission.

Khajimba himself and then parliamentary speaker Valery Bganba signed the agreement on behalf of the Abkhaz authorities, while the head of Apra foundation Aslan Bzhania, deputy chairman of Amtsakhara party Ramaz Jopua and the head of Abzankhara organization Nugzar Ashuba signed on behalf of the opposition.

The May 30 address is also signed by Bzhania, Jopua and Ashuba. Its authors claim that the opposition “treated the document responsibly,” and fulfilled all of its provisions. At the same time, they say that Khajimba is not fulfilling the part of the agreement concerning the opposition’s candidacies for the constitutional court and the election commission. One of the two candidates for the constitutional court membership from the opposition has not been presented to the parliament by Khajimba, despite the fact that the process of staffing of the court is to end on June 1.

The opposition representatives requested fulfillment of the agreement by Khajimba, granting the opposition its promised seats in the constitutional court and election commission. They added that failure to do so would be seen by them as “a wish to have an open confrontation, provoking new mass protest rallies,” and would “nullify even a small possibility of dialogue, causing more serious consequences.”