Tbilisi (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Protesters in Abkhazia’s parliament demand President Bzhania’s resignation over a Moscow investment deal. Bzhania offers to resign after protesters vacate the building.
Protesters in Georgia’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia refused to vacate the parliament building which they stormed the previous day, a departure offered by the region’s president as a condition for resigning.
Protesters had inhabited the parliament in protest at an investment contract between the Black Sea region and Moscow. Russian news agency RIA reported that President Aslan Bzhania had stated he would resign and hold a snap vote once protesters left the parliament in Abkhazia’s capital Sukhumi, and offered a vice-president as interim head of state.
How did President Bzhania respond to the protests?
“When they exit the building, I will compose my resignation letter and in the new election, we’ll see how much support they get,”
Bzhania said. He stated he planned to run in that election. Bzhania, cited by Russian news agencies, later told a government conference held in his native coastal village of Tamysh, that order would be restored. He expressed protesters only controlled the parliament and government buildings they had occupied.
“The situation will stabilise, everything will return to a legal framework,”
he said.
“We have a president, we have regulations. We have a homeland that we all must serve.”
Abkhazia’s interior ministry and security service gave statements stating they would obey orders from the president. Protesters stated in a statement that the occupation was not against Abkhazia’s close relations with Russia, but blamed Bzhania for
“trying to use these relations for his selfish interests (and) exploiting them for the sake of strengthening his regime”.
What role does Russia play in Abkhazia’s crisis?
Russia said it was observing the “crisis situation” with concern and advised Russian citizens to avoid travel to Abkhazia. Russia recognised Abkhazia and another breakaway territory, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after conquering Georgia in a five-day war. It carries military bases in both regions and props up their economies. Most of the world recognises Abkhazia as a territory of Georgia, from which it split away during battles in the early 1990s.
