The President of the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, resigned today following violent protests in the republic's capital Sukhumi.
In a televised address to the Abkhaz people, Ankvab said that he had decided to resign after opposition activists captured government buildings and refused to compromise.
According to Ankvab, he has decided to resign in order to maintain civil peace. "As the democratically-elected president of the republic I think that my main task is to secure civil peace and to prevent violence," he said.
Ankvab also said that even though the documents recently adopted by the parliament contradict the Abkhaz constitution and the population still supports him, he has decided to resign as he believes it is the only choice he has.
