Abkhaz presidential election ongoing in line with democratic standards - Sukhum
SUKHUM. Aug 25 (Interfax) - The Abkhaz presidential election is under way in line with democratic rules, Abkhaz presidential press secretary Naala Avidzba said in comments on Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili's statement.
"The Georgian president's statement is not surprising. The Georgian Foreign Ministry has already made these kinds of statements earlier today. The election of the president of the Republic of Abkhazia is ongoing in line with all rules and standards of the democratic and free expression of will by the Abkhaz people," Avidzba told reporters in Sukhum.
"There are many international observers in Abkhazia, and they stress the transparency and democratic nature of the electoral process in Abkhazia," she said.
"Abkhazia is confidently continuing its development as an independent state, and this certainly causes irritation in Tbilisi," she said.
Zourabichvili has earlier denounced the presidential election ongoing in Abkhazia on Sunday. "The Abkhaz authorities are de facto holding the illegitimate presidential election today. Georgia condemns this sham process as one more violation of our national sovereignty," Zourabchvili wrote on Twitter.