04 May 2004 14:03
Georgia rebel area`s head says to tighten rule
The head of Georgia's rebel Ajaria region on Tuesday defied central government threats to depose him and promised to tighten his hold on the territory as his followers crushed an opposition demonstration. Aslan Abashidze has declared a state of emergency and curfew in the Black Sea region of Ajaria, which includes the important oil shipping port of Batumi. Tbilisi has given him until May 12 to recognise its authority.
Armed men broke up a demonstration in support of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in central Batumi on Tuesday, opposition politicians said. To prevent students gathering, Abashidze has closed all schools and universities for two weeks. Saakashvili has promised not to use force to crush the region's autonomy but militiamen blasted bridges linking Ajaria to the Georgian heartland on Sunday, saying they feared invasion from troops stationed nearby.
"The humane approach that the autonomous republic's leadership has followed has not brought results," Abashidze told local television. "Any criminal acts, actions or slogans will be treated with the utmost severity...No one will be forgiven for attempts to create a hotbed of disorder."
Saakashvili came to power in a bloodless revolution in November, promising to end corruption and sweep away figures such as Abashidze who have held office since Soviet times. But Abashidze has not backed down. He has refused to disarm his militias as demanded by Saakashvili and kept a firm grip on the opposition.
"A group of people armed with metal poles fiercely beat the demonstrators. Before this fire engines with water cannons were used," opposition politician Tamaz Diasamidze told Reuters. He said there had been 200 demonstrators. Abashidze told local television that the universities and schools had to be closed for a fortnight to prevent "tension".
"We had to take preventative measures. No one can calmly watch as preparations are made for tension. They have to be cut off at the roots," he said.
Washington is watching the stand-off with concern, fearing for stability in a country that will be part of the route for a major pipeline taking oil from the Caspian sea to a Turkish port. It has called on Abashidze to disarm local militias.
Moscow has also called for calm, fearing that the crisis could descend into bloodshed. Two Georgian regions are currently completely outside central government control, having gained de facto independence in bloody wars in the 1990s.
[http://gazeta.ru/] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
