SUKHUM. Nov 15 (Interfax) - Abkhaz opposition activists and a number of parliamentarians have delegated a group of negotiators to President Aslan Bzhania to compel him to resign.
"A demand will be presented to the incumbent president that he resign. The republic should hold early presidential elections," Abkhaz opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba told Interfax on Friday.
"Naturally, the vice president and the prime minister also have to resign," he said.
"The people are currently controlling the Abkhaz presidential office and parliament buildings, as well as state television," Ardzinba said.
Adgur Ardzinba, leader of the Abkhaz People's Movement non-governmental organization, said later that a group of parliamentarians was delegated to President Aslan Bzhania solely to demand his resignation.
"The president's resignation will help avoid an exacerbation of the crisis and further undesirable excesses," Ardzinba told opposition supporters.
Another opposition leader, Levan Mikaa, also said earlier that a group of negotiators had been delegated to President Bzhania to demand his resignation, as well as the resignations of Vice President Badra Gunba and Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab.
Meanwhile, Abkhaz People's Assembly Speaker Lasha Ashuba and several parliamentarians arrived at the Interior Ministry.
As reported earlier, protesters took control of the parliament, government, and presidential office buildings and hung flags of Abkhazia and Russia above the entrance to the People's Assembly. Levan Mikaa insisted that the protesters would stay at the presidential office until Bzhania announced his early resignation.