In his televised address to the nation late on March 14 President Mikheil Saakashvili described Adjarian leadership’s activity as “a mutiny attempt against the Georgian State.”
He said troops were on high alert but refused to use force, as “possibilities to resolve the standoff through the dialogue are not exhausted.”
Saakashvili also set an ultimatum to Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze and demanded to fulfil the central authorities’ conditions till the evening of March 15.
“[During the phone conversation on March 14] I told Aslan Abashidze that he has time to think over my conditions till tomorrow evening. I asked him to let me and other government members to meet voters in Adjara; to let other people express their position freely; to let [the opposition] to campaign freely in Adjara and hold free and fair elections,” Mikheil Saakashvili said.
The President also said that he demanded from Abashidze “to disarm illegal armed groups” in Adjara. “The central authorities also demand to carry out its duties in the Autonomous Republic and control the region’s borders and customs,” he added.
Mikheil Saakashvili said that the central authorities intend to close borders with its defiant region, “in order to cut financial sources for the [Adjarian] regime.”
“Tomorrow [on March 15] I intend to propose the government to discuss close Batumi [Adjarian capital] airport, Sarpi border checkpoint [at the border with Turkey] and port of Batumi. I will also propose the government to freeze the accounts of all the legal entities registered by the authorities of the Adjara,” President Saakashvili said.
He warned Aslan Abashidze “if even one opposition activist would be harmed in Adjara, Georgian authorities would carry out decisive measures.”
Early on March 14 President Saakashvili was barred to enter Adjara, as couple of hundred of armed men blocked the administrative border between Autonomous Republic and the rest of Georgia.