Fists Fly After Lawmakers Debate

A Georgian lawmaker punched a fellow deputy in the face on Saturday after a heated parliamentary debate over the country’s breakaway territory of Abkhazia.

It all started with an impassioned speech by a deputy who blamed Russia for the loss of the Black Sea territory to secessionist forces in 1993.

Fearing a riot in the chamber, the speaker called for a break in the proceedings.

But the arguments continued outside. David Chelidze, a deputy from the opposition National Democratic Party, punched Kakha Chitaya, a member of the pro-government Citizen’s Union of Georgia.

Other lawmakers had to restrain the two.