Sokhumi Downplays EU, NATO, U.S. Rejection of Abkhaz Election

The rejection of Abkhaz elections by the United States, European Union and NATO was not a surprise for Sokhumi, Foreign Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Shamba said on March 6, Apsnipress reported.

?This is not the first time that we a hearing this kind of reaction from the democratic states. The fact that democratic states are rejecting the democratic process was a surprise for us initially, but now it is no longer a surprise and we have simply stopped reacting to them? We will continue to hold our elections regardless of the international organizations? reaction,? Shamba said.

The U.S. and EU said in separate statements on March 5 that the parliamentary and local self-governance elections held in Abkhazia on March 4 and February 11, respectively, were illegal as at least 200 000 internally displaced persons were unable to participate in the polls.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer also said on March 5 that the alliance does not recognize the ?so-called elections? in Abkhazia.

Although the Russian Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the March 4 parliamentary polls in Abkhazia, it hailed the February 11 local elections in breakaway region as corresponding ?to international electoral and democratic norms.?

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