The draft apartment law, envisaging the construction and facilitation of the purchase by the non-residents of thousands of apartments in the eastern part of the occupied region, has been withdrawn “in order to ease tensions and preserve stability.” The so-called parliament of the occupied region said that this decision was made taking into account the “public opinion, first of all the Council of Elders, heroes of the patriotic war of the people of Abkhazia, representatives of scientific circles, intellectuals and other concerned citizens.”
Against the backdrop of massive discontent, the de-facto authorities of Abkhazia, including its leader Aslan Bzhania, have tried to push through the “legislation” that would allow foreigners, including Russians who are thought to be the main beneficiaries of the legislation, to build and buy apartments in the occupied region. The locals’ concerns include the potentially soaring prices, the damage that could be inflicted on the hospitality business and the possible upsetting of the demographic balance in the region.
A local youth movement “KharaKhPitsunda” earlier said that “the recall is a temporary solution. In no case can we accept it. By the very fact of having this bill, the current government has shown that it cannot be trusted. We demand guarantees. We need a point on this issue, and we need it now. We need a moratorium. If the authorities decide to withdraw the issue now, it means they want to raise it again. We can’t let them.”
This new “legislative” initiative is the edited version of a bill “on regulating the legal status of apart-hotels and apartments” which was previously pushed by the de facto president Bzhania. The amended version of the bill would affect only the eastern part of the region, which is considered to be in greater economic distress than the western part.
“There parameters can be revised, geography can be revised, but this is the development of an entire industry, the most important industry that will ensure the dynamic development of our economy…. People who will buy this real estate will come to us, revitalize our economy, pay to our budget, and they will not have any political rights. Acquisition of apartments is not connected with Abkhazian citizenship”, – the President reminded then,” Aslan Bzhania explained earlier lobbying for the law.
Also Read:
- 14/02/2024 – Abkhazia Feels Russian Chokehold Tighten
- 19/07/2023 – Demographic Concerns and Controversy Surrounding Abkhazia’s “Apartment Law”
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