MOSCOW (Reuters) – Protesters in Georgia’s Russia-backed breakaway area of Abkhazia declined on Saturday to go away the parliament constructing which they stormed yesterday, a departure proposed by the area’s president as a situation for resigning.
Protesters had occupied the parliament in protest at an funding settlement with Moscow.
Russian information company RIA reported that President Aslan Bzhania had mentioned on Saturday he would resign and maintain a snap election as soon as protesters vacated the parliament in Abkhazia’s capital Sukhumi, and proposed a vice-president as interim head of state.
“When they leave the building, I will write my resignation letter and in the new election we’ll see how much support they get,” RIA cited Bzhania as saying.
He mentioned he deliberate to run in that election.
Protesters mentioned in an announcement that the occupation was not towards Abkhazia’s shut ties with Russia, however accused Bzhania of “trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests (and) manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime”.
Moscow mentioned on Friday it was following the “crisis situation” with concern and urged Russian residents to keep away from journey to Abkhazia.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and one other breakaway area, South Ossetia, as unbiased states in 2008 after defeating Georgia in a five-day conflict. It maintains army bases in each areas and props up their economies.
A lot of the world recognises Abkhazia as a part of Georgia, from which it broke away throughout wars within the early Nineties.
