It was nice to read in the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets" the day after our presidential elections in August 2011: "Abkhazia, which Russia recognized in 2008,   is more democratic than Russia." Our achievements in the electoral process were    recognized by international observers who were pleasantly surprised at  a  competence  of observers of all presidential  candidates present at polls on  the day  of elections, and a clearly set work of electoral commissions. In recent years, Abkhazia stands out from post-Soviet countries due to the  democratization in this area. Even   human rights international organizations  which do not recognize  our independence  such as “Freedom House” which  rated Abkhazia  as   partly free, due to these achievements.
    
         Therefore, a savage incident at  the Chlou  polling station  occurred late on the fifth of August, signals a dangerous trend - we  are returning  to  anarchy and pretend that nothing special  happened. After vote counting, witnessing an overwhelming victory of Beslan Butba, a large group of supporters of Beslan Tarba, ran for the National Assembly of RA in the same district,  forcedly entered  the room where the electoral commission set, swept the  police and destroyed all the papers they got. Members of the Electoral Commission managed to hide bulletins, and the group committing violence broke only one important protocol. Now it is glued and kept by the CEC Chairman Batal Tapagua.

         A troubling precedent took place a few months ago when at one of the Sukhum polling stations people were also trying to prove their rights with strength. This incident has not received assessment in the public consciousness , though   there were a lot of gossips in  the cafes and kitchens. But if one may, why not  the others - this unpretentious logic always works well, and now we've got a tendency. Smashing polls is in fashion  and becomes a  habit..

         If now the incident does not receive   wide publicity, and the participants do not incur administrative punishment under the law, democratic gains of recent years will be threatened. For many years it was possible to attempt with impunity one of the top officials, now we can give a damn to the will of voters who live close to you. If a person running for the People's Assembly, does not see anything criminal in such actions of his supporters (and no public condemnation of these actions from  his part  followed yet), there is a legitimate question as what was  this man’s  purpose  to  join  the parliament?

         Fortunately, the Central Electoral Commission did not follow in the wake of  Beslan Tarba supporters and confirmed the victory of Beslan Butba. But can we say with a clear conscience that all is tiptop in our state, if the defeat of a polling station get by?
                                                                                                       Nadezhda Venedictova