The election campaign is starting off in Abkhazia. Upon acquisition of independence a year ago the country will elect its president on December 12. The opposition in the young republic is going to contest the president's post. The chairman of Abkhazia's Economic Development Party (ERA) Beslan Butba is answering questions of GeorgiaTimes correspondent.

-What's your presidential election program?

-It was a long time ago that ERA elaborated the program of economy and social sphere modernization in Abkhazia. The republic's best economists took part in that.This is a new development strategy with self-sufficient and modern Abkhazia as a primary goal.

-What's different in your program comparing with that of your opponents?

-So far I know nothing about the programs of my opponents. I suspect they have none. At least in ERA party's understanding of the term "program". As for Sergey Bagapsh - Abkhazia has been familiar with his election promises for five years - and they have never been implemented.

-You are criticizing the economic policy of the current authorities. Exactly what reforms do you propose?

-Current authorities have no economic policy - they just rush from side to side. This is what we criticize. We may like or dislike the economic policy but it must exist anyway. As for ERA party we are going to build a highly efficient, highly competitive, fast developing economy. It's most important that major investments should be made in human capital by boosting education and quality of health care.

We plan to carry out large-scale demographic and employment reforms. We have elaborated a complex program on rural development, upgrade of farming enterprises, implementation of new technologies and crops. We have developed a special program of Eastern Abkhazia development ensuring support of depressed areas. Besides we put more emphasis on social support of pensioners. In simple words we suggest leaving alone what doesn't exist and creating a new economic system of the state, practically from scratch. The main goal is a RUR 20,000 average monthly salary, 50,000 average employed population etc. This all is possible: we must only give way to private initiatives and release economy from excessive care of the state - plainly speaking from flagrant corruption.

-You signed the letter the Abkhaz opposition addressed to Putin and Medvedev criticizing Bapagsh of transfer of the Abkhaz railway and airport to Russian business structures. What would you have done with the facilities as president?

Print version