Ankvab’s ‘problem’ is that he is a man of law

The attempt on the Abkhaz President’s life drew a wide response not only in Sukhumi and Moscow, but also in Tbilisi. This incident is hard to forget about, as after the assassination attempt both Russia and Abkhazia closed down the only footbridge over the Inguri River, so the residents of the Galsk region of Abkhazia who visit the neighboring Zugdidi region of Georgia quite often lost their ability to do so. Some say that the border will remain closed up until the parliamentary elections in Abkhazia, scheduled for March 10.

Georgy Guazava , the head of the Autonomous Abkhaz Republic government (this office has been functioning in Tbilisi since 1993 and unites Georgian refugees from Abkhazia) shared his opinion on the incident with our VK correspondent. 

- Mr Guazava, do you think the version of a ‘Georgian trail’ in this assassination attempt has any real basis to it?

- I don’t think so. It would make no sense: Georgia never prepared assassination attempts against Ardzinba (who was the head of the Abkhaz republic during the Abkhaz-Georgian war in 1992-1993). The talks of a ‘Russian trail’ are not at all grounded either. I think Ankvab’s main ‘problem’ is that he is a man of the law – he is a harsh person and he loves order. Russia is quite content with such a character heading Abkhazia for now, as it needs to show to the world that it’s a stable and democratic state. So Ankvab’s disappearance would’t do Russia any good.

Ankvab started a war with organized crime and corruption and sent many corrupt bureaucrats to prison, including those of the rank of Ministers (for example, the Interior Affairs Minister). I think this assassination attempt was undertaken by criminal authorities – this is the simplest and the most plausible explanation.

or the sixth attempt on Ankvab’s life. Why can’t the Abkhaz police catch the perpetrators?

- Let’s approach the issue from another angle. If any well-organized criminal organizations were involved, they would have succeeded. Ankvab has always been a corruption fighter. So the question is: who is the most displeased with him in this clan face-off?

- How will this attempt influence the outcome of the parliamentary elections?

- It’s hard to tell. I think the people of Abkhazia support Ankvab. Everyone wants order and rule of law. And I think that the popularity of Ankvab became even greater. 

- Do you know Ankvab personally? What is the history of his relations with the Georgian community of Abkhazia?

- I know him very well. We worked together in the Abkhaz parliament. I know Ankvab as a very principled and sensible person. He is a true patriot of Abkhazia and a man of leadership qualities. During the war of 1992-1993 we had phone conversation and discussed prisoners of war exchange. He showed himself to be a person concerned with justice above all other things. But these talks don’t make him a pro-Georgian politician, he doesn’t have any ‘special connections’ with Georgia. He understood that each executed prisoner is yet another argument for a genocide charge. So he managed to do a good thing (save people’s lives) and save the radical separatists' image at the same time.