Attempt on Ankvab’s life: possible reasons

Experts say today’s attempt on Ankvab’s life is connected to his fight against corruption and was also aimed at destabilizing the situation on the eve of parliamentary elections in the Republic.

As the Yuga.ru information agency reports, Alexander Ankvab’s cortege was heading to Sukhumi when it was fired at from a grenade launcher early on February 22 in the Gudaut district. The President was not hurt, but his bodyguards sustained serious injuries, two of them died.

Sukhumi officials do not exclude the possibility of this attack being aimed at destabilizing the internal situation in the republic on the eve of parliamentary elections scheduled for March 10, ITAR-TASS reports. The nomination of candidates was closed on February 9. There are 35 parliamentary seats in the Abkhaz Assembly and 156 candidates will compete for them.

Ex-presidential opposition candidate Raul Khadjimba suggested that the attempt on the President’s life might be connected to his anti-corruption measures. “The attempt definitely has a political motive, and the most obvious one is the President’s declared war on corruption,” Life News cites the politician.
Political expert Anna Broydo agreed with this theory, as Finam.FM reports: “In the first months of his presidency there were many loud corruption denunciations and prosecutions. So I think those whose interests are affected by these efforts are behind this action, so it is not pure politics, there is an economic aspect to it”.

“VK’s” chief editor Alexei Vlasov pointed out that it is Ankvab who embodies the country’s hope of maintaining the stability and sustained development of this Caucasian republic, as well as the course for further international recognition of Abkhazia’s sovereignty.

“Of course, Ankvab’s decisive victory at the last presidential elections disappointed those who wish to destabilize the situation. Russia is one of the guarantors of Abkhazia’s sustained development, so Russian politicians as well as the public are very concerned about this threat to President Ankvab’s personal security,” the expert said.

The official representative of the republic’s head told the ‘Russian News Service” that Abkhaz investigators see no ‘Georgian trail’ in this attempt on the president’s life.