Abkhaz de facto Premier Remains on Post

(Tbilisi. April 8, 2003. Civil Georgia) – President of self-declared Abkhaz Republic Vladislav Ardzinba ?rejected the cabinets appeal for resignation,? de facto Abkhaz Vice-President Valeri Arshba told Civil Georgia on April 8.

On April 7 de facto Abkhaz Prime-Minister Genadi Gagulia stepped down after the jailbreak of some nine prisoners, including the ones sentenced to death, became public.

However Vice-President Arshba says that the cabinet?s decision to resign is not linked to jailbreak.

?The decision follows the opposition?s intention to hold the mass protest rally in Sokhumi [capital of breakaway Abkhazia] on April 10, which protests against economic policy of the government,? Arshba told Civil Georgia.

Amtsakhara, a public political movement uniting veterans of the 1992-93 war, called the government to resign on 29 March.

De facto Abkhaz Vice-President also said that some of the cabinet members will be dismissed; however Premier Gagulia will remain on the post.

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