The opposition of the Republic of Abkhazia called on law enforcement officers on Tuesday to support the anti-government protesters
SUKHUM (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2019) The opposition of the Republic of Abkhazia called on law enforcement officers on Tuesday to support the anti-government protesters.The opposition has been holding protests near the building of the republic's parliament in Sukhum since Monday, demanding the resignation of President Raul Khadzhimba. The rallies began after the parliament refused the opposition's demand to postpone the presidential election from July 21 to fall due to a key opposition candidate falling ill.
"We call on law enforcement officers to join people and not make obstacles for expressions of the people's will, as well as to act in the name of protecting each Abkhazian citizen," the National Movement on Protection of Statehood said in a statement on its Facebook page.
Currently, there are some 300 people on the square near the parliament, with hundreds of police officers maintaining security.
Opposition protesters have demanded postponing the election due to the illness of opposition candidate Aslan Bzhania, who was admitted to a Moscow clinic last month with suspected mercury poisoning. The opposition claims that Bzhania was poisoned by his political rivals ahead of the election.
Khadzhimba, for his part, has stated that the opposition's concerns over Bzhania's health condition were in fact a "pretext" to remove the president from power.
