TBILISI. Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The voting in Georgian presidential elections slated for January 4 will take place in Ajaria as well, but the Democratic Revival Union party will not be involved in them, Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze has said.
Speaking at a joint press conference together with Georgian State Minister Zurab Zhvania in Batumi early on Wednesday, Abashidze said the party that he leads "holds its own view on the legitimacy of the processes going on in Georgia, and this is why it has made this decision."
The state of emergency, which has been imposed in Ajaria since November 23, will not be lifted during the elections, Abashidze said.
"The state of emergency will be lifted when constitutional order has been established in Georgia and when its leaders take steps aimed at serving state interests," he said.
Zhvania said at the press conference that he intends to continue consultations with Abashidze to fully settle disagreements between Tbilisi and the autonomous republic.