Abkhazia Federation Blueprint Unveiled in Georgia

Georgia's National Security Council is considering a new peace plan for the separatist region of Abkhazia. The plan envisions the creation of a Georgian federation, in which Abkhazia would retain broad autonomy. It also seeks to encourage the repatriation of an estimated 260,000 individuals displaced by fighting over a decade ago.

Details of the proposed conflict resolution doctrine were published May 21 on the Civil Georgia web site. Since the 1992-93 civil war, Abkhazia has acted as a de facto independent entity. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The doctrine, provided it is approved by the security council, would guide President Mikheil Saakashvili's efforts to reunify Georgia through peaceful means. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Trying to entice the Abkhaz leadership to abandon its stated goal of gaining international recognition of its independence, the proposed Georgian peace doctrine would allow regional leader to retain control over local affairs within the context of a federated state. The central government in Tbilisi would retain control over foreign policy, defense, customs collection and the fight against organized crime. At the same time, Abkhazia would continue to enjoy having its own executive and legislative branches of government, if regional residents so desire. In addition, the region would be allowed to circulate a special type of currency depicting Abkhaz national symbols.

"Abkhazia will have all the rights of a sovereign state except one – the right to independence," Civil Georgia quoted Kote Kublashvili, a former deputy justice minister and one of the drafters of the Abkhazia peace doctrine, as saying.

Abkhaz leaders in the past have said they will not compromise on the issue of independence. If they end up agreeing to a federative arrangement, however, the peace doctrine goes on to say that displaced persons should be encouraged to return to their homes "gradually and voluntarily." According to the doctrine, international assistance would be required in order to provide compensation to those IDPs whose homes were destroyed by the civil war.

In an attempt to reassure Abkhaz leaders, the doctrine would seek to maintain the inter-ethnic balance that existed before the outbreak of hostilities, placing limits on potential in-migration. "The number of persons from other parts of Georgia, who express a willingness to live in Abkhazia, should not exceed 1-2 percent of the population," Civil Georgia reported.

As underscored by the accompanying photos by Giga Chikhladze, the Georgian government has struggled to accommodate IDPs from Abkhazia. The lack of government resources forced 100,000 IDPs to find new accommodations on their own. Even many of those who managed to obtain government help, found themselves living in inadequate shelter.

One of the most prominent symbols of the Abkhazia war's legacy is the Iveria Hotel in central Tbilisi. Once one of the capital's better hotels, the Iveria was transformed into an IDP hostel in 1993. What was seen as a temporary arrangement in 1993 has already stretched 11 years. Despite the fact that most IDPs live in squalor, many say they have become accustomed to their present conditions and are reluctant to return to Abkhazia, where they would have to expend a considerable of energy and money to rebuild their lives.