Local journalists claim failure of first TV debates in Abkhazia

During the first TV debates held in Abkhazia and attended by all presidential candidates, participants have failed to raise questions of interest for voters, believes Inal Khashig, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Chegemskaya Pravda". A moderator of the TV debates has failed in fulfilling his task, noted Izida Chaniya, the editor-in-chief of the "Nuzhnaya Gazeta" (Needed Newspaper).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 24, Abkhazia is to hold the voting for the election scheduled after President Alexander Ankvab had resigned on the proposal of the Abkhaz Parliament. Four candidates will take part in the election and run for presidency: Aslan Bzhaniya, Leonid Dzapshba, Raul Khadjimba, and Mirab Kishmariya.

Inal Khashig associates the failure of the TV debates with the lack of moderators's experience. He has noted that the attacks during the TV debates are largely connected with the emotional overheating during the election.

Izida Chaniya believes that no TV debates took place in principle. Meanwhile, she has emphasized that Raul Khadjimba was the only candidate who had submitted his programme.

No programmes of the presidential candidates were discussed during the TV debates, and it came down to personal attacks, stated Sergey Markedonov, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Area Studies and Foreign Policy of the Russian State Humanitarian University (RSHU).

Sergey Markedonov has emphasized that many Abkhaz experts and journalists criticized the TV debates. "However, it is very difficult for the Abkhazian society to hold the TV debates at the highest level," the expert has added.