President of Abkhazia steps down
The President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, has submitted his resignation amid a wave of anti-government unrest in the post-Soviet state, urging protesters to fulfill their part of an agreement and vacate the occupied complex of government buildings in Sukhumi.
The announcement follows eight hours of negotiations with the opposition on Monday, during which Bzhania's government attempted to resolve the crisis that erupted last week.
“In order to preserve stability and constitutional order in the country, in accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia, I am resigning from the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia,” the document, signed by Bzhania and circulated by his office early on Tuesday, said.
Parliament is expected to consider his resignation letter by the end of Tuesday. However, if the protesters refuse to leave government buildings, Bzhania will revoke his resignation, his office said.
Under the agreement with the opposition, Prime Minister Aleksander Ankvab will also step down and be replaced by former PM Valeri Bganba. Vice-President Badra Gunba will serve as acting leader, until new elections take place.
The unrest began last week when Abkhazia’s parliament was considering an agreement with Moscow that would allow Russian companies to undertake investment projects in the region. The opposition claimed that the deal would give significant advantages to Russian businesses.
On Friday, demonstrators stormed government buildings, demanding Bzhania’s resignation. Several people were injured in clashes with police. The protesters rejected a proposal for early elections and refused to leave the government complex until Bzhania resigned.
Bzhania initially refused to step down, characterizing the unrest as an “attempted coup.” He accused his opponents of using inflammatory rhetoric against Russia and engaging in “dirty political battles” aimed at undermining the electoral process.
”They want to impose a forceful option on our voters,” he said in an exclusive interview with RT aired on Sunday. “Is this an attempt at a coup? It is an attempt. It is not over yet.”
The opposition in turn accused Bzhania of attempting to use ties with Moscow for his personal benefit, and insisted that the protest is not aimed at undermining ties with Russia, but rather at protecting Abkhazia’s national interests and natural resources.
The South Caucasus republic of Abkhazia, home to around 244,000 people, broke away from Georgia following a war in the early 1990s, and was recognised as an independent state by Russia and several other countries in 2008. Georgia continues to view Abkhazia as part of its sovereign territory.
