The President of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh called on the population of the Gal region of Abkhazia to refuse from participation in presidential election in Georgia scheduled for 5 January 2008.
Bagapsh also called on the Georgian authorities not to use the population of the Gal region as a tool for political gambles. "Georgian authorities will try to use the population of Gal region for their political purposes. But we are confident the residents of the region will not give way to that," he said.
Issue of passports for Abkhazian citizens in Gal region will begin in near future, Bagapsh said but urging Gal residents to take a more active civil position in the process, the Kavkaz-uzel news agency reported.