MOSCOW (Reuters) – Protesters in the Russian-backed Abkhazia region of Georgia refused on Saturday to leave the parliament building they stormed the day before, a move proposed by the region’s president as a condition for his resignation.
Demonstrators entered parliament to protest the investment deal with Moscow.
Russian news agency RIA reported that President Aslan Bzhania said on Saturday that he would resign from his position and hold an emergency election if the protesters walk out of the parliament in Abkhazia’s capital, Sukhumi, and nominate the vice president as interim head of state.
“When they leave the building, I will write a letter of resignation and in the new elections we will see how much support they get,” RIA quoted Bzhania as saying.
He said he plans to contest that election.
Protesters in a statement said the project does not contradict Abkhazia’s close ties with Russia, but accused Bzhania of “trying to use this relationship for his own benefit (and) using it to strengthen his regime”.
Moscow said on Friday it was following the “critical situation” with concern and urged Russian citizens to avoid traveling to Abkhazia.
Russia recognized Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent regions in 2008 after defeating Georgia in a five-day war. It maintains military bases in both regions and develops its economy.
Most of the world sees Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it seceded during wars in the early 1990s.
