The 13-year long rule of the "Adzharian Lion" is over. Celebrations on this occasion continued through the night in Tbilisi and especially in Adzharia. Thousands of people danced and sang in the streets of Batumi until 6-7 A.M. The chair of Aslan Abashidze was removed from his study in the building of the Adzharian Supreme Council, broken and publicly burnt in front of the memorial of his grandfather Memed Abashidze, who was one of the founders of the Adzharian autonomy.
Remaining items in the cabinet, which were given to the former Adzharian leader as gifts, were taken by people as souvenirs as well.
Experts speak of the export of Revolution of Roses to Batumi. However, despite the similarities of scenarios of Tbilisi's events last year in November and of this year's May events in Adzharia, there were nevertheless doubts about the peaceful solution until the very end. "Abashidze is not like Shevarnadze. He is not the person to simply resign," Georgian politicians used to say.
Moscow considerably influenced the settlement of the situation. On Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili discussed development of events in Batumi twice over the telephone. After the talks Head of the Russian Security Council Igor Ivanov set off to Adzharia.
The tete-a-tete talks between Mr. Ivanov and Mr. Abashidze continued for four hours.
When the talks were almost over, gunshots zipped through the air near the building. There is still no information on this incident. According to one of the versions, it was a farewell salute given by Adzharian Lion's confidents, who already knew about Abashidze's resignation. Following the talks with Igor Ivanov the former Adzharian leader left his residence and headed to Batumi airport, where he boarded a plane to Moscow. After having publicly refuted information on the possible resignation on Wednesday night but before the talks with Mr. Ivanov, Aslan Abashidze preferred to leave Batumi without any statements. This gave the Georgian authorities grounds to call Mr. Abashidze's resignation as an escape.
"Aslan escaped and I congratulate Georgia. Today we made an important step towards the unification of Georgia," Mr. Saakashvili said upon his arrival in Batumi.
Immediately after Abashidze's resignation, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania held a session, which resulted in a number of decisions. In particular, special headquarters headed by the Georgian Interior Minister were formed in order to restore law and order on the territory of the autonomy.
Mr. Zhvania called on Adzharian citizens to turn in illegally handed out weapons.
The Georgian Prime Minister assured that nobody would persecute Mr. Abashidze's former supporters. "We came to for love and not for disintegration of the nation," he said.
At present, a direct Presidential rule was introduced in Adzharia.
"I introduce direct Presidential rule for a transitional period," Mr. Saakashvili said in his special statement.
He also added that a temporary governing council of the autonomy would be appointed until the elections for the local authorities are held.
Mr. Saakashvili also promised that Adzharia would maintain the status of the autonomy.
The President spoke about the necessity of the country's unification.
"There will be no dividing borders or lines in Georgia while I'm alive," Mr. Saakashvili stressed.
Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II expressed his satisfaction with the peaceful settlement of the political conflict in Adzharia.
He reminded that Abkhazia and Tskhinval region are the issues to be decided in the future (Abkhazia and South Ossetia with its center in Tskhinval are self-proclaimed republics on the Georgian territory). "I congratulate all Georgian people with the victory in Adzharia and with the freedom," the Patriarch of All Georgia said on Thursday at a solemn liturgy in the Kashvetsk Church of St George in Tbilisi.
According to him, "it's a great pleasure that everything ended without a bloodshed."
