Following days of widespread demonstrations over a contentious pro-Russia measure, the head of Georgia’s separatist region of Abkhazia is stepping down.
According to Aslan Bzhania’s press office, he resigned “to maintain stability and constitutional order” and the two parties had reached an agreement that the demonstrators who had occupied the Sukhumi parliament would have to leave on Tuesday.
The bill that would have made land ownership and investment by Russians permissible has been withdrawn.
Following the Georgian-Russian War in 2008, Russia recognized Abkhazia as an independent state, which it had declared in 1999. Georgia claims that Moscow has “occupied” Abkhazia.
