SUKHUMI, May 30 (RIA Novosti) – The chairman of the city council in Sukhumi, Abkhazia’s capital, has been selected as the new acting mayor, a spokesperson for the local administration said Friday.
The decision for Konstantin Pilia to succeed Alias Labakhua as the mayor of the city was announced at an urgent meeting of the city council, which called on other officials to continue working.
Members of the Sukhumi administration failed to come to their workplaces Friday as the doors of the building in downtown Sukhumi were closed and unknown people were inside, a RIA Novosti correspondent said.
The opposition is considering a candidate to replace Abkhaz Prime Minister Leonid Lakerbaia, after parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the head of government on Thursday.
Opposition leader and former vice president Raul Hajimba said the opposition is continuing to form an interim government and already has candidates for the heads of ministries.
A mass protest in Abkhazia’s capital, Sukhumi, has been continuing for several days. Protesters have seized government buildings, demanding President Alexander Ankvab step down.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that Moscow is concerned by the political tensions in Abkhazia and believes the crisis should be resolved through a legal process.
