SUKHUMI, Abkhazia. June 5 (Interfax) - Two top Abkhaz officials have tendered their resignation and issued an address to the people of Abkhazia.
"On May 27, events took place in Abkhazia that will have a long-term effect on our statehood. No one has any doubt that the actions of the opposition and the legislative branch, which had fallen under its influence, were anti-constitutional. Unfortunately, use was made of technologies that have nothing to do with the Abkhaz mentality and run against national moral principles," chief of the presidential staff Beslan Kubrava and Security Council Secretary Nugzar Ashuba said in their address.
"In the realization of the danger of what was happening, we nevertheless made every effort to stop the country from sliding toward a catastrophe and steer the nation away from the line beyond which there was no future. The realization of the approaching disaster unified us with President Alexander Ankvab. We joined forces with him in intensively looking for a solution to the crisis," Kubrava and Ashuba said.
They expressed anxiety at "what has been happening after the resignation of the president of the republic." "All that is being done by those who have carried out the coup is divvying up jobs along with the persecution of 'the other guys' and a classical witchhunt," they said.
"The opposition forces are still trying to force their decisions on the provisional authorities whose task is to maintain peace in the country and organize and carry through an early election for head of state," Kubrava and Ashuba said.
"We deem it impossible to remain in office in a situation where the interim top officials remain under pressure that may set off a new wave of standoff. For this reason, we resign as the president's chief of staff and secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Abkhazia," they said.