Leader of breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia resigns
(Reuters) -Aslan Bzhania, the leader of the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, has resigned following negotiations with the opposition, Bzhania’s press office said on Tuesday.
“In order to maintain stability and constitutional order in the country … I resign from my post,” Bzhania said in a signed document posted on the Telegram messaging channel of his press office.
The embattled Bzhania and his Moscow-supported government have faced weeks of growing tensions and recent mass rallies, with buildings and bridges occupied in protests of an investment agreement between the Black Sea region and Russia.
While Moscow has refrained from intervening in the rapidly escalating situation in Abkhazia, the crisis there poses another challenge for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been waging a war against Ukraine for 1,000 days now.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and another breakaway region, South Ossetia, as independent states in 2008 after it defeated Georgia in a five-day war. It maintains troop bases in both regions and props up their economies.
Most of the world recognises Abkhazia as part of Georgia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Tbilisi’s rule during wars in the 1990s that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Abkhaz protesters have demanded the resignation of Bzhania and his entire government and asked for new elections.
Citing a speaker of the region’s parliament, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported there will be an early election called, without providing further details.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Ron Popeski in Winnipeg;Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lincoln Feast.)
