Hightlights
- Protests erupt over an investment agreement with Moscow.
- President Bzhania vows to resign if protesters leave the building.
Protesters in Georgia’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia refused to leave the parliament building they stormed the previous day, despite President Aslan Bzhania’s proposal to resign if they vacated the premises. The protesters had occupied the parliament in protest against an investment agreement between the Black Sea region and Moscow.
Russian news agency RIA reported that President Bzhania stated on Saturday he would step down and call for a snap election once the protesters left the parliament building in the capital, Sukhumi. He suggested that the vice-president could serve as the interim head of state. “When they leave the building, I will write my resignation letter, and in the new election, we will see how much support they get,” Bzhania was quoted as saying.
He also confirmed his intention to run in the upcoming election. Later, in a government meeting in his coastal village of Tamysh, Bzhania said that order would be restored. He clarified that the protesters controlled only the parliament and government buildings they had seized. “The situation will stabilize, everything will return to a legal framework,” he said. “We have a president, we have laws. We have a homeland that we all must serve.”
Abkhazia’s interior ministry and security service issued statements affirming their commitment to follow the president’s orders.
Protesters, however, argued that their occupation was not a rejection of Abkhazia’s close ties with Russia, but rather a protest against Bzhania’s actions. They accused him of using these ties for his personal gain and manipulating them to strengthen his regime. Adgur Ardzinba, a representative of the protesters, told TASS news agency that they would remain in the parliament building until Bzhania resigned.
Moscow expressed concern over the situation, with Russian officials urging citizens to avoid traveling to Abkhazia.
Russia had recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states in 2008 after defeating Georgia in a five-day war. Since then, Russia has maintained military bases in both regions and supports their economies. However, most of the world still views Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it broke away during conflicts in the early 1990s.
