On November 19, deputies of the parliament of the self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia approved the resignation of "president" Aslan Bzhania.
This is reported by Echo of Caucazus.
The speaker of the Peopleʼs Assembly Lasha Ashuba said that there was one issue on the agenda — Bzhaniaʼs statement on the completion of her duties. 31 deputies took part in the vote, 28 of them supported the resignation of the Abkhaz leader, one opposed. Two more ballots were declared invalid.
The duties of the "president" will be performed by the "vice-president" Badra Gunba. A former speaker of the parliament Valery Bganba will be appointed to the position of the so-called prime minister of Abkhazia instead of Oleksandr Ankvab (he is also leaving the post).
Aslan Bzhania resigned amid protests over an investment deal with Russia that began in November 2024. Bzhania leaves her duties in order to "maintain stability and constitutional order" in the country.
The agreement with the Russian Federation will allow Russian companies to invest in construction projects in the region, but activists consider this a "surrender of the interests" of Abkhazia. The document was supposed to be considered on November 15, but protesters disrupted the parliament session and broke into the building.
Then the opposition began to demand the resignation of Bzhania. The press service of the "president" reported that the administration is preparing to withdraw from the parliament the draft law on the ratification of the Russian-Abkhazian investment agreement.
- Abkhazia spontaneously declared independence from Georgia in 1992. This happened with active military support from Moscow, which led to an open war with Tbilisi. After the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, the Kremlin recognized the "independence" of the region, although most of the world community still recognizes Georgiaʼs sovereignty over Abkhazia.
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