Month: September 2024
Apartments law in Abkhazia
The administration of the president of Abkhazia continues its efforts to push the apartments law, now using public sector employees. Template appeals to parliament deputies were sent out, instructing employees to sign them. However, many have refused to do so despite the pressure.
President Aslan Bzhania has been unsuccessfully trying for two years to get parliament to pass a law allowing Russians to build and buy apartments in Abkhazia. Opposition and civil society strongly oppose this, as it would effectively lift the current ban on foreign property sales, aimed at preventing demographic imbalances in the region.
On July 25, 2024, following widespread protests, parliament withdrew the apartments bill. Bzhania saw this as a conspiracy by local opposition and foreign intelligence services.
The failure of the bill contributed to a crisis in Russian-Abkhaz relations.
The presidential administration’s appeal states that several laws, including the apartments law, must be passed to improve relations with Russia, as they have become points of contention between the Kremlin and Abkhazia.
This document was distributed to schools, hospitals, and cultural institutions for staff signatures, confirming their loyalty to the current government (in line with obligations to Russia) and condemning opposition figures allegedly hindering Russian-Abkhaz relations.
- Abkhazian president links apartment law protests to foreign intelligence
- “Abkhazia’s strained relations with Russia are the president’s fault.” Interview with an Abkhaz oppositionist
According to opposition Telegram channels, some organizations are collecting signatures under the threat of dismissal.
Despite this, the signature collection is progressing slowly, with many organizations’ staff members refusing to sign the appeal altogether.
Terms, place names, opinions and ideas suggested by the author of the publication are her / his own and do not necessarily coincide with the opinions and ideas of JAMnews or its individual employees. JAMnews reserves the right to remove comments on posts that are deemed offensive, threatening, violent or otherwise ethically unacceptable.
The European Union is ready to react appropriately to the developments in Georgia. POLITICO reports that the European Commission spokesperson “said that “all options are on the table” if the ruling Georgian Dream party continues on its authoritarian trajectory, “including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme.”
Under a visa liberalization agreement signed in 2017, Georgian citizens can spend up to three months a year in the EU without a visa – a tangible and valuable achievement that has benefited many ordinary Georgians who previously had to wait in a long process of applying for visas.
“As part of the EU-Georgia visa liberalization dialogue and the corresponding Action Plan, Georgia was required to meet specific benchmarks, including ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and preventing discrimination,” the POLITICO quotes the spokesperson.
“An assessment would of course take place in case of developments posing a risk to the internal security of the Schengen area, as well as in case of a further democratic decline in Georgia.”
Noting that “The European Commission conducts an annual review of the fulfillment of the benchmarks for visa liberalization,” the EU Commission official stresses: “Respect for fundamental rights is also a core principle of the accession process and will be assessed in the forthcoming enlargement report.”
Commission spokesperson also commented to local media Formula saying that consultations with the foreign ministries of the EU member states have already been completed. Notably, the suspension of the visa regime with a country is a decision that does not require unanimity among the member states.
Also Read:
While Tehran expresses concern over the #Zangezur Corridor—which does not necessarily border #Iran — it overlooks genuine security issues that threaten its interests. Dr. Basel Haj Jasem @BaselHajJasem on the #SouthCaucasus and Iran’s complex calculations https://t.co/pFMUK3tQIN
— Russian Council (@Russian_Council) September 20, 2024