Abkhaz leader, Alexander Ankvab, was discharged from hospital on May 7 after being hospitalized a day earlier with high blood pressure, Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported.

Apsnipress reported citing Abkhaz leader’s press office that Ankvab suffered “hypertensive crisis” on May 6 during a lengthy meeting with supporters from Amtsakhara political party.

According to this report from late Wednesday afternoon Ankvab’s was allowed to leave the hospital after his condition “stabilized”.

During the meeting with leaders and member of Amtsakhara, which is pro-Ankvab party, the Abkhaz leader was discussing opposition’s calls for sacking the government and cutting president’s powers.

An opposition group known as Coordinating Council, uniting four political parties and seven public movements, laid out late last month number of demands to, as it put it, overcome “systemic crisis” in Abkhazia.

During April 29 meeting with Ankvab, representatives of the Coordinating Council offered their proposals on how to overcome this “crisis.”

Proposals include: sacking of PM Leonid Lakerbaia and the entire cabinet, as well as of prosecutor general; appointing new PM, selected by the Coordinating Council; newly appointed PM selects cabinet members, who will be then be confirmed by the president; drafting constitutional amendments within a month to cut presidential powers at the expense of increasing Parliament’s and PM’s authorities. Coordinating Council has also called for dismissal of heads of Gali, Tkvarcheli and Ochamchire districts.

The group has warned that it would convene “a nationwide assembly” and demand Ankvab’s resignation if these demands are not met.
 
After the meeting with representatives of the Coordinating Council on April 29, Ankvab’s press office said that the Abkhaz leader is ready for a “constructive” dialogue with all the political parties and public organizations, but “making such demands in a form of ultimatum is unacceptable and unproductive.”

Pro-Ankvab party, Amtsakhara, said in a statement on April 30 that Coordinating Council’s demands amount to an attempt to come into power without elections. It said that the opposition represents only “narrow circle” of people, which has no broad public support.

Leading figure within the Coordinating Council is MP Raul Khajimba, leader of the opposition party Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia. In the 2011 election Ankvab won the presidency with up to 55% of votes and Khajimba was third with less than 20%.

Amtsakhara also claimed that the opposition wants the prosecutor general to be sacked because he “firmly” pursues the case against those nine men, who are currently standing trial on charges of assassination attempts against Ankvab.

“Opposition’s actions clearly demonstrate once again its complete unwillingness and inability to solve difficult issues through dialogue and consensus; they have demonstrated their genuine goals – to come into power through destabilization,” Amtsakhara said.