The president of Abkazia, Georgia supported by Moscow, says he is willing to resign

Aslan Bzhania, leader of Abkazia ʹ the separatist region in Georgia supported by Moscow, said 16 November it is “ready to resign if opposition supporters agree to leave the Parliament building, located in the capital of Sukumi.

The opposition has called for new protests on November 16th, after a day earlier protesters entered the Parliament building to reject a construction agreement with Moscow and demanded Bzhanian's departure.

“Those who took control of the buildings, those who attempted a coup, must leave the building, and after that I am willing to call new elections, resign and compete in the new elections”, Bzhana said before his supporters in his hometown of Tamish, the village located about 40km from Sukumi.

However, the opposition appears determined to ignore Bzhanian's demands.

“Aslan Bzhania is making desperate efforts to save his government”, the opposition Co-ordination Council said through a statement, adding that its “sum has ended”.

Through this statement, the opposition accused Bzhanian of providing “for his family and his close circle”, calling on opposition supporters to gather in the capital on 16 November.

Local media reported on November 15th that lawmakers failed to ratify the agreement, which, according to its opponents, would enable wealthy Russians to buy property in the picturesque Black Sea region, would increase real estate prices and make real estate prices for locals unaffordable.

Opposition representatives said that after their initial request for the deal to be cancelled, protesters are now seeking to oust President Bzhania.

Bzhana, former head of the state security service in Abkazi, told his supporters on 16 November that “is being put under great pressure to members of parliament so parliament can take illegal actions to bring down President”. He warned that the 2014 “skenari will not repeat”, reference to one of the two times when leaders in Abkazi resigned due to opposition protests.

Abcasia and South Ossetia separated from Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990 ' s.

Moscow recognised the independence of two regions after Russian forces held back a bid by Georgia to regain South Ossetia during a five-day war in the summer of 2008, which ended with Georgia's defeat.

Most countries still recognise Abkazia as part of Georgia, but its economy is almost entirely dependent on Moscow, which paid salaries to public administration and social benefits to its inhabitants.

Georgia's pro-European President, Salome Zarabishvili, reacting to tensions Tbilisi says are occurring in his occupied region, said Russia “is accelerating steps towards an annexing” in Abkazia. / REL/