2025 Abkhazian presidential election

2025 Abkhazian presidential election
← 2020 15 February 2025 (first round)
1 March 2025 (second round)		 2030 →
 
Candidate Badra Gunba Adgur Ardzinba
Party Independent APM
Popular vote 45,817 36,476
Percentage 47.8 38.0
President before election

Badra Gunba (acting)
Independent

Elected President

TBD

Presidential elections were held in the Republic of Abkhazia on 15 February 2025[1] following the 2024 Abkhazian protests.[2] The protests resulted in the resignation of Aslan Bzhania as president of Abkhazia.[3][4]

As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round will be held on 1 March.[5]

Background

The election was called after president Aslan Bzhania resigned in November 2024 due to protests against an agreement allowing wealthy Russians to purchase property in Abkhazia. He was replaced on an acting basis by his vice president, Badra Gunba. On 28 November 2024, the People's Assembly of Abkhazia announced that new presidential elections would be held on 15 February 2025, with the winner to be inaugurated within the next 30 days of the results being declared. Assembly speaker Lasha Ashuba has estimated that the election would cost up to 25 million rubles ($227,300).[1]

Researcher Olesya Vartanyan stated on 13 February that high-ranking Russians, notably Sergey Kiriyenko, are interfering with the election's conduct to help Badra Gunba, the candidate who is the most favorable to the Kremlin.[6]

Electoral system

A candidate needs to win a majority of votes in the first round to avoid a runoff, which must be held within two weeks.[7] In the second round, a “none of the above” option is included in the ballot. A candidate must receive more votes than both their opponent and the combined “none of the above” votes in order to win.[8]

Candidates

  • Badra Gunba – acting president and former vice president.[9]
  • Adgur Ardzinba – leader of the Abkhaz People's Movement. He replaced MP Kan Kvarchia, who withdrew citing health issues following injuries sustained in the 2024 Parliament of Abkhazia shooting on 19 December.[9]
  • Oleg Bartsits – former head of the Abkhazian Trade Mission in Russia.[9]
  • Robert Arshba – former head of the Abkhazian Audit Chamber.[9]
  • Adgur Khurkhumal – president of the Black Sea Development Bank.[10]

Results

CandidatePartyVotes%
Badra GunbaIndependent45,81747.76
Adgur ArdzinbaAbkhaz People's Movement36,47638.03
Robert ArshbaIndependent7,4347.75
Oleg BartsitsIndependent3,9884.16
Adgur KhurkhumalIndependent8960.93
Against all1,3131.37
Total95,924100.00
Valid votes95,92497.28
Invalid/blank votes2,6842.72
Total votes98,608100.00
Source: Abkhaz World

Reactions

The Georgian Foreign Ministry denounced the "so-called presidential elections in Russian-occupied Abkhazia". The European Union said it does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework in which the "so-called presidential elections" took place.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Abkhazia Sets February Presidential Election After Mass Protests". The Moscow Times. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Actions of Abkhazian opposition harm the republic, lawmaker says". TASS. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Presidential election in Abkhazia to be held within legal period — president". TASS. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Leader of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia resigns after protest deal". France 24. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Kremlin-Favored Candidate Faces Runoff in Georgia's Abkhazia". RFE/RL. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Moscow Has Run Out of Patience in Abkhazia". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. ^ "Their Leader Ousted By Mass Protests, Abkhazians Vote to Decide Ties With Russia". The Moscow Times. 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Abkhazia presidential election: Two finalists advance, no winner yet". JAM News. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d "Abkhazia completes registration of presidential candidates". JAM News. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Abkhazia's Upcoming Presidential Elections: Interview with Kan Taniya". Special Eurasia. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.