7 May 2004 -- The parliament of Georgia's Adjar Autonomous Republic has voted to abolish the post of executive leader.
The parliament made the decision late yesterday after the man who had held the post, Aslan Abashidze, stepped down under pressure and flew to Moscow earlier this week.
Abashidze and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had been at loggerheads after the Georgian president vowed to assert the central government's control over the province.
Abashidze was speaker of the Ajar parliament and later became its executive leader, a post created for him by the Ajar legislature.
Saakashvili appeared on state television last night saying quote, "the region had far more rights than an autonomous region should have."
Saakashvili said quote, "those days are over."
(RFE/AP)
Abashidze and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had been at loggerheads after the Georgian president vowed to assert the central government's control over the province.
Abashidze was speaker of the Ajar parliament and later became its executive leader, a post created for him by the Ajar legislature.
Saakashvili appeared on state television last night saying quote, "the region had far more rights than an autonomous region should have."
Saakashvili said quote, "those days are over."
(RFE/AP)