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| Caucasus |
| Georgian president wants regional leader ousted |
| 2004-04-24 |
| Georgia's new president dramatically escalated a war of words with a rebellious regional leader on Thursday, calling for the overthrow of the country's "major problem". Mikhail Saakashvili, elected in January after leading a bloodless revolution, has been locked in a stand-off with Adzharia leader Aslan Abashidze almost since taking office. Last month, they came to the brink of bloodshed after both sides mobilised their forces in a crisis sparked by Adzharan militias refusing to allow Saakashvili into the region, which includes the major oil-shipping port of Batumi. Western powers have watched the tension closely, keen for stability in a country that forms part of the route for a major oil pipeline between Azerbaijan and the Mediterranean. "The major problem...is the situation linked to Aslan Abashidze, and not with Adzhara itself," 36-year-old Saakashvili told the first session of a parliament elected last month, saying Abashidze and his entourage were criminals. It was his first appearance in parliament since he overthrew veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze in last November's "rose" revolution. "Freeing the Adzharans from these criminal elements must be the responsibility of the new Georgian leadership." Saakashvili has promised to crack down on corruption and rein in separatist regions. Adzhara has never declared independence, unlike two other regions, but Abashidze has run it as a personal fiefdom since the fall of the Soviet Union. Abashidze defused last month's tensions by agreeing to surrender some of his powers and disarm militias. But he has back-pedalled on these promises and Saakashvili said the government would never agree to him remaining in power. Saakashvili said there was a criminal regime in Adzhara that was involved in drug trafficking, illegal detention of people, murder and other crimes. "I will never allow the existence of criminal elements, drug dealer and killers," he said. Parliament is packed with Saakashvili supporters, who won a landslide in last month's poll. Only one opposition party managed to pass a seven percent threshold to enter parliament. Saakashvili said parliament should adopt a new tax code to try to straighten out public finances, while he would try to improve international relations. "My key duty is to establish serious partner-like relations with Russia," he said. Georgia's relations with its giant neighbour have been poisoned by Moscow saying Georgia is harbouring rebels fighting Russian rule in Chechnya, while Tbilisi has accused Russia of dragging its feet over the withdrawal of Soviet-era military bases from Georgia. |
| Posted by:Fred |