MPs call on Abkhazia’s president to step down after opposition protesters STORM government

Thousands of opposition protesters took to the streets of Abkhazia’s capital of Sukhum on Thursday, breaking into the office of president Raul Khajimba and demanding a new election.

The police force outside the presidential administration building failed to contain the angry crowd, with people smashing doors and windows to make it inside. Footage from the president’s HQ showed the protesters roaming the offices, overturning furniture and throwing state papers around.

A large crowd remained camped outside the building as the night descended on the Abkhazian capital. The protest leaders urged the people not to disperse until their goal is achieved.

© Sputnik

The unrest erupted on the day when the High Court was considering the complaint by the opposition, who insists that the president maintained his post illegally during the election in August. Alkhas Kvitsinia, who lost to Khajimba by less than 2 percent in the second round, argues that a new vote is needed as none of the candidates was able to pass the 50 percent threshold.

Later on Thursday, the Abkhazian MPs held a vote and decided to ask Khajimba to step down and schedule a new election in order to defuse the tensions. The president refused to accept proposal, however, saying that another way out of the crisis must be found.

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