Already for a second consecutive time the international observers who have arrived to us on presidential election, mark a high level of its holding. The  next day after the elections the newspaper «Moscow Komsomolets» ascertained that Abkhazia  been recognized by Russia passes it ahead in the democratic development.

 

          As for elections - it is true! Organized in  spring  2004 the League of Voters "For fair elections" has done its best shaping the electoral process up! At first the League was defamed and accused in all mortal sins, now the result of its activity is so obvious that the League is resting on its laurels and from controlling function has moved to informational and expert.

 

          The observers of candidates of different levels  were trained at its seminars that now they carry out their duties at polling districts so zealously that this year the League  has just created  mobile groups for  visiting  the sites and reacting to the  messages on infringements. 

In the   contemporary Abkhaz history it is the brightest example of how the public initiative can have a real influence and improve democratic processes. And this public initiative has not been paid and people worked  just on a voluntary basis.

 

          If we could achieve such inspiring result, having united public and state efforts (the Central election committee has estimated a creative potential of League in time and all these years has cooperated with it), it means, that a certain mechanism of such interaction has been already done and it is necessary to use it in other spheres.

 

          So, world experience shows that introducing public order and fighting against corruption are inconceivable without active assistance of citizens to law enforcement bodies. Pinning hopes on the new authorities the society should remember about its capabilities and duties.

 

          The day of presidential election, already in the darkness, a young man Alexander Arshba   when leaving a restaurant "Аitar" with his wife and friends, has been kidnapped. Criminals wore  masks and managed to take him away, having pulled out from the hands of the wife and  wounded three of his friends shooting at feet.

 

          The same day, having outstripped the Russian democracy, we became the country of a  classic kidnapping. An impudent challenge has been  thrown to all of us, without distinction of elective predilections!

          If this crime is not investigated within the next few days, presidential elections will thus remain a glass case  of our democracy  

Nadezhda Venedictova