Abkhazian Parliament withdraws apartments bill following public anger

Abkhazia has dropped controversial legislation that could have opened Abkhazia’s real estate market to Russian buyers amidst widespread opposition to the bill.

On Thursday, the Speaker of Parliament, Lasha Ashuba, signed a document withdrawing the draft law at the request of the four MPs who initiated it. None of the four have spoken publicly about it.

Amidst mounting public opposition, it became increasingly clear that the bill would not be passed by parliament, with a majority of MPs having stated they would vote against it. 

The draft law was supported by President Aslan Bzhanya. Proponents claimed it would lead to economic development, with the bill’s title being changed to the bill ‘on measures to increase the level of socio-economic development of the Ochamchira, Tkuarchal, and Gal regions’ of Abkhazia.

The sale of real estate to foreigners in Abkhazia has long been a point of contention between the authorities in Sukhumi (Sukhum) and Moscow, and has until now been banned.

In recent days, Abkhazia has seen large protests against the bill, with thousands of protesters coming out against it.

[Read more: Tensions flare in Abkhazia as parliament pushes ahead with ‘pro-Russian’ law on apartments]

Everything is still ahead

Despite their apparent victory, opponents of the bill have warned the authorities may intend to revive the bill at a later time.

Journalist Izida Chania wrote on Telegram that there would likely be an even greater struggle ahead.

‘Sorry, but this is for those who are choked with joy, everything is still ahead — Aslan Bzhania has nothing more to lose, his ratings have gone negative’, she wrote. 

‘We cannot allow this law to simply be removed from the parliament’s proceedings, since it may return under a different name, or the authorities will create a situation in which protests will not be effective’, one opposition activist told OC Media. 

‘We must achieve at least a moratorium on the construction of real estate and apartments by foreign investors and the sale of them to foreigners’, they said.

Some have also pointed to new construction taking place around the government headquarters, suggesting the authorities intended to build a larger fence to defend the building from protesters.

Activists against the law on apartments have requested the use of the Abkhaz Drama Theater to hold a public meeting with MPs on Friday. It is believed the meeting will be used to demand a ban on the construction and sale of apartments to foreign citizens.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.