European Parliament President Buzek rejects Abkhazian presidential election result

[News_Editor]

European Parliament President Buzek rejects Abkhazian presidential election result

2011-08-29 09:19:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

SUKHUMI (BNO NEWS) -- European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek on Sunday rejected the results of a presidential election which were held in the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia on Friday.

The elections were held after Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh died in the Russian capital of Moscow in late May as a result of lung cancer. Alexander Ankvab was appointed acting president as a result, and on Friday won the disputed region's election with 54.86 percent of the vote.

"These elections do not change the position which the European Parliament holds on the breakaway region of Abkhazia in Georgia," Buzek said in a statement released by his office. "Abkhazia is an autonomous region part of Georgia and the European Parliament is committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

The Georgian government, the European Union, and NATO already rejected the results on Saturday. "The lack of support by the international community to the idea of an independent sovereign Abkhazia state shows the feebleness of the claims underpinning the demands of secessionist politicians in Sukhumi," Buzek said.

Abkhazia and another Georgian breakaway republic, South Ossetia, were recognized by Russia and several other countries as independent states in 2008 following a five-day war, which started when Georgia attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

After the vote results were announced on Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev immediately called Ankvab to congratulate him on his "resounding victory," the Kremlin press office said. "Dmitry Medvedev wished Alexander Ankvab every success in his demanding post and expressed confidence that Abkhazia's development will continue successfully. The two leaders confirmed their commitment to further strengthening Russian-Abkhazian relations," the Kremlin said.

But Buzek criticized Russia for keeping its troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, despite an agreement made in 2008 at the end of the five-day war. "Russia should also cease issuing passports to the people of the occupied provinces," the leader of the European Parliament added.

Relationships between Russia and Georgia remain tense over the issues, and Buzek said the European Parliament 'strongly encourages' the resumption of official relations between the two countries.

On Saturday, a statement issued by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the vote as "mockery of international law." "The Russian occupation forces and its proxy regime in Sokhumi (the Abkhazian capital) conducted another cynical act of the pseudo-democratic policy - the so-called 'presidential elections'," the statement said.

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