Protesters who stormed the parliament building in Georgia’s Russian-backed breakaway Abkhazia region refused to leave the building on Saturday despite the president’s offer to resign.
Opposition activists stormed parliament and a presidential administration building in the region’s capital Sukhumi on Friday, protesting against an investment deal with Moscow that would allow Russians to buy local real estate.
Protesters are angry about a new investment deal with MoscowImage: Anzhela Kuchuberia/TASS/dpa/picture alliance
Abkhazia, located between the Caucasus mountains and the Black Sea, has been in turmoil over concerns that property prices will rise and Moscow’s dominance in the region will be strengthened.
What did President Bzjania say?
Earlier on Saturday, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania offered to resign and hold early elections if demonstrators leave several parliament buildings, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. Bzhania said he would run for office in these early elections.
“Those who took over the presidential government must leave,” Bzhania added, referring to the demonstrators’ occupation of his offices, which are located next to parliament.
Abhkazia’s president, President Aslan Bzhania, has offered to resign to end the siege of parliament by protestersImage: Valery Sharifulin/dpa/picture alliance
“If they leave the building, I will write my letter of resignation and in the new elections we will see how much support they get.”
Bzhania also proposed a vice president as interim head of state, media said.
But opposition leaders said they would only accept Bzhania’s unconditional resignation.
In a statement, the protesters said they were not against Abkhazia’s close ties with Russia. However, their occupation of government buildings was a gesture against Bzjania, who used these ties “for his own selfish interests” and to “strengthen his regime.”
“None of us came here because of the seats (in parliament),” former Abkhaz Prime Minister Valery Bganba told the crowd. “We came here to save our people and our country.”
There is unrest in the Russian-dependent Georgian breakaway region
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Reading investment deals has been interrupted
Most of Abkhazia broke away from Georgia in fighting that ended in 1993, and Georgia lost control of the rest of the territory during the brief war with Russia in 2008. Unlike most world nations, Russia recognizes Abkhazia as an independent country .
Moscow maintains military bases in the region and supports the economy. Many Abkhazians are concerned that the region is a puppet state of Moscow.
Friday’s storm came as lawmakers met to discuss the controversial investment deal with Russia.
The hearing was postponed when demonstrators broke open the gate to the building’s grounds with a truck and poured in, some throwing stones at police, who responded with tear gas.
At least fourteen people were injured, RIA Novosti reported.
Moscow said on Friday it was following the “crisis situation” with concern and urged Russian citizens to avoid travel to Abkhazia.
mm/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)