In the contemporary world it is considered that the institution of presidency - is the force that creates the position of the state and ways of its development. In crisis situations, the president consolidates the nation for carrying out following  national problems, sensitively capturing the mood of  people and showing  political will to implement  necessary solutions.

         In the history of independent Abkhazia the  institution of  presidency was formed after the Georgian-Abkhaz war, when the authority of Vladislav Ardzinba was extremely high, and this  not only determined the amount of excessive presidential powers, and presidential management style - all threads pulled to Vladislav Grigorievich, he was the father of the nation, and exhausted by war, economic ruin and the collapse of the Union, the people slowly came recovered  under the protection  of his fatherly hand.

         This has negative consequences, since it does not encourage   public and individual initiative. Over time, this has degenerated into an  alienation  between the government and people, ordinary people had no understanding of what state we are building and what are  the priorities for development. I am afraid that the country's leadership also had no clear understanding of these things. The country has developed by post-Soviet inertia complicated by the blockade, and other geo-political games around Abkhazia.        

         Now we have the third president, but the situation has not changed cardinally. As before, people do not feel working in a team with authorities that we’re trying to work and together try to settle a very complex situation.  Thus nation did not consolidate for facing   challenges.  This largely explains a restrained, if not almost apathetic reaction of many on the last attempt on Ankvab. Authorities remain distant, little understood and no one knows anything about its activities that is why nobody cares of its problems.

         Just like when he was a Prime Minister Ankvab made a bid for a personal control and practically combines the functions of a president, prime minister and overseer. I respect workaholics, but this style of management gives only short-term results and, by the end of the day, is a dead end, leaving lower-level initiative and responsibility and making them simple executors of another's will. In the twenty-first century, the society, consisting of simple executors are not competitive and not being able to create a truly independent state.

         In this situation, both  the acting president, and the society  should have the same goal - to meet  with each other and gain such scheme of interaction that will  allow to awaken and use a creative energy of people at all levels. Authority must be reformed through greater public participation, this will increase the responsibility of  a society for what is happening.

         A broad debate engaging all active segments of a society is necessary: opposition movements, nongovernmental organizations and middle-class intelligentsia. And it would be better for  Ankvab himself  to make the first step towards  people, inviting their representatives to discuss this important issue.

         The position of the President is a very difficult one, it requires from the person not only political will but also skills at the right time to open up to the society and say, "Here I am in front of  you. I  do really want to change the situation in the country. Help me.”

                                                                                                                    Nadezhda Venedictova