Elections in Abkhazia
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President: Mikhail Saakashvili <center>Abkhazia President: Sergei Bagapsh Prime Minister: Alexander Ankvab Political parties in Abkhazia Elections in Abkhazia |
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Elections in Abkhazia gives information on election and election results in Abkhazia. An election is a process in which a vote is held to elect candidates to an office. It is the mechanism by which a democracy fills elective offices in the legislature, and sometimes the executive and judiciary, and in which electorates choose local government officials.
- See election for a more comprehensive discussion and the List of democracy and elections-related topics for an overview on related topics.
Abkhazia elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five term by the people. The People's Assembly has 35 members, elected for a five year term in single seat constituencies. Abkhazia is a one party dominant state. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power. The last elections seems to show a development towards a multi-party system.
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2004 Presidential elections
On 3 October 2004 presidential elections were held in Abkhazia. In the elections, Russia evidently supported Raul Khajimba, the prime-minister backed by seriously ailing outgoing separatist President Vladislav Ardzinba. Posters of Russia's President Vladimir Putin together with Khajimba, who like Putin had worked as a KGB official, were everywhere in Sukhumi. Deputies of Russia's parliament and Russian singers, lead by Joseph Kobzon, both a deputy and a popular songster, came to Abkhazia compaigning for Khajimba.
Still, on 12 October Abkhazia's Supreme Court, after a series of contradictory decisions by the Electoral Committee, recognized that the new president would be a businessman Sergei Bagapsh, accused by his rival's supporters of being pro-Georgian. (Georgia doesn't recognize any separatist candidates or even the elections). Abkhazia's outgoing President Ardzinba claimed the decision was illegal and made under pressure from supporters of Bagapsh. The decision was cancelled by the Supreme Court the night of the same day. When supporters of Raul Khajimba seized the building of the Supreme Court and destroyed the protocols from local electoral constituencies new elections were prescribed.
Soon the Supreme Court cancelled the later decision, and again named Bagapsh the new president. His supporters captured a local TV station, while Raul Khajimba's supporters took control over the parliament's building. Outgoing president Ardzinba replaced Raul Khajimba as a prime-minister with Nodar Khashba, who, before this appointment served in the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations.
On 5 December the presidential candidates Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khadjimba agreed to hold new elections. In these elections they would run on a joint ticket, with Khadjimba as vice presidential candidate.
| Summary of the 12 January 2005 presidental election results | % |
|---|---|
| Sergei Bagapsh | 90.1 |
| Iakub Lakoba | 4.5 |
2002 Parliamentary elections
The last parliamentary elections were held 2 march 2002. The results of these elections are not available. In these elections the Afkhazetis Komunisturi Partia (Communist Party of Abkhazia), the Aitara (Revival), the Amtsakhara (Signal Lights), the Republican Party and United Abkhazia as well as non-partisans participated. not available)
