Abkhaz PM Criticizes Media Coverage of Upcoming Polls
Prime Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Nodar Khashba blamed local media sources for triggering speculations that ?certain forces want to disrupt? the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for January 12, Regnum news agency reported on January 5.
He urged the media sources to ?work more responsibly? and at the same time rejected the media speculations that the government pressures the media. ?No country and government would allow publication of such materials [in the media]. In the best case they would be sued,? Khashba said.
?People are just tired and not always correctly interpret things that are broadcasted via the press and television,? he added. Recently, Khashba ordered closure of the Abkhaz state news agency Apsnypress, allegedly for the purposes of re-organization.
The reports emerge in Abkhaz and Georgian media that supporters of outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba and especially Khashba are preparing the public opinion for cancelling the result of the upcoming presidential election. The reports claim, Khashba is concerned that following the elections that would establish Sergey Bagapsh as a president, he would lose his political and financial influence.
Khashba, formerly a high-ranking official of the Russian Ministry for Emergencies (MChS) was, according to his own statement, sent to Abkhazia by the Russian President Vladimir Putin not to stabilize the situation during the heated November 2, 2004 elections. Following the showdown between the pro-governmental candidate Raul Khajimba and opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh the sides were forced into a compromise by Russia.
