11:53, 16 March 2004

Abashidze does not intent to meet Saakashvili's ultimatum

Aslan Abashidze, head of the Adjarian Autonomy, which is part of Georgia, does not intend to meet conditions of the ultimatum he received from Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on March 14. "The president cannot deliver ultimatums to his own people in his own country, and even more so to the leader who is not appointed and dismissed by the president," Abashidze said in his interview with Russian journalists in Batumi on March 15.

"I will act and decide abiding by the constitutions of Georgia and the Adjarian Autonomy," he emphasized one more time. In view of it, he expressed his opinion that the amendments to the Georgian constitution adopted by present members of the Georgian parliament are illegitimate, reported RIA Novosti.

Editors note: See also the article "Georgian president presents ultimatum to Adjarian leader".

Source: RIA Novosti