One week left till the presidential elections, and in 18 August, an old guard of  the  members of  the first  Abkhaz parliament initiated a meeting with the presidential candidates of Abkhazia. It was symbolic - the key representatives of that courageous parliament, present elected representatives of the people and the three main contenders for the main position of the country met in one hall.

        It was a matter of non - compliance of a gentleman's agreement for honest elections signed by the presidential candidates at the start of the election campaign. The last drop was a demonstration of the film in the Philharmonic with Tengiz Kitovani, who depicts the exploits of Alexander Ankvab as Georgian James Bond. Activists of the (pre)-election staff of Sergei Shamba showed this film to all wishing to see it.

        If we analyze this pre-election humbug of the Georgian card, the picture turns to be very   curious and not to our mutual honor. Where have  these vigilant citizens  been  before, when Ankvab so  many years had  served as a prime -minister, and then  one year and a half  more  as a vice - president? If they kept silent all this time having the evidence of his pro-Georgian activities, then they are traitors and they should be prosecuted for concealing such important information for the country.

 

        Furthermore, it turns out that all of us are complete idiots, and the Abkhaz security service blatantly incompetent and catches mice, as far as we were ruled over by a Georgian spy, and we quietly did nothing.

 

        If they have no such proof, it is no better - it means they again think we are complete idiots and will swallow the bait just like so. It appears that we are not quite respected, lowering our level of thinking lower than the plinth.

  

        So that the old guard reacted not for nothing, they  could not stand such  total disrespect. And at yesterday's meeting, after all let off steam,  they agreed that at least the last week before the elections to pass quietly and without black PR.

 

        In the meantime, it was noted long ago that using black PR is a sign of obvious weakness. When you do not have strength and ability to compete on equal terms, one starts throwing mud. It is clear to any voter, so   to expect a real success of such actions is unreasonable. 

        The hard confrontation of 2004- 2005 taught our society a lot and the majority does not want a repeat of that scenario. The meeting of military commanders   held in early June confirmed this - some of them even said they felt guilty for the split in  the society. We have become wiser, and we hope that at the next elections, nobody will pull a Georgian card out of the sleeve any longer. 

Nadezhda Venedictova