Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Baramidze expressed concern on January 28 regarding the tensed situation in Adjara Autonomous Republic and added that the law enforcement agencies “have information that the arms are distributed in Adjara among the certain part of population.”
“We will not permit bloodshed in Adjara,” he added.
Reports say that the armed men were patrolling streets of the Adjarian capital Batumi on January 28, while couple of thousand supporters of Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze held a rally outside the Abashidze’s office. Supporters of Abashidze vowed that they will not permit Abashidze’s ouster.
In the wake of creation of the new public movement Democratic Adjara on January 27, which aims, as the movement’s leaders say, at “peaceful transition of power in Adjara,” Aslan Abashidze warned the central authorities that events in Adjara might “develop like in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” when in early 90s Georgian troops were involved in bloody conflict with its secessionist regions.
State Minister Zurab Zhvania tried to defuse tensions in Adjara and said on January 28, that the central authorities do not intend Abashidze’s ouster adding that Tbilisi will “cooperate closely with head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic.”
State Minister Zurab Zhvania today dismissed recent speculations of the Georgian media, regarding his intentions to deploy Edward Surmanidze leader of the newly created movement Democrat Adjara, as Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze’s heir.
Leaders of another public movement Our Adjara, which is also in the opposition to Abashidze, say that they will hold a mass protest rally in Batumi in nearest days to demand Abashidze’s resignation.
Davit Berdzenishvili, the leader of Republic Party and political foe to Abashidze told Civil Georgia that the power transition should occur in Adjara only peacefully.
“March 28 parliamentary elections should be decisive in this regard,” Berdzenishvili said.
He hopes that in the free and fair elections those parties in opposition to Adjarian leader will take over the Abashidze’s Revival Union, which dominates in the Autonomous Republic.