21:57, 31 May 2014

Parliament appoints Speaker Valery Bganba to be Acting President of Abkhazia

Today, local MPs have appointed Valery Bganba, the Speaker of the Parliament of Abkhazia, to be the Acting President of the republic. The early presidential election is scheduled for August 24 this year.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening on May 29, the Abkhazian Parliament appealed to President Alexander Ankvab asking him to resign. Besides, the MPs expressed a vote of non-confidence to Prime Minister Leonid Lakerbaya.

Today, a session of the Parliament took place in Sukhumi, which was attended by 25 out of 35 MPs. They imposed – until the election of a new president – the presidential powers on the Speaker Valery Bganba, and scheduled the early presidential election for August 24, 2014.

According to the MPs, it was done because of the inability of the incumbent President Alexander Ankvab to execute "the powers and duties of the President of Abkhazia," the retirement of Mikhail Logua from the post of Vice-President, as well as with the aim to preserve the nation's accord and stability and prevent an acute political crisis.

See earlier reports: Interim People's Council of Abkhazia: republic does not intend to become part of Russian Federation, Alexander Ankvab has no chances to regain power, opposition states, Abkhazian opposition announces Interim People's Council.

Author: Elena Vekua

Source: CK correspondent