Abkhazian presidential election, 2009
Encyclopedia
On 12 December 2009, Abkhazia
held its fourth Presidential election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was won by incumbent president Sergei Bagapsh
in the first round with 61% of the votes, thus gaining a second term in office. He was be inaugurated on 12 February 2010. Bagapsh competed against four opposition candidates: former Vice President and Prime Minister Raul Khajimba, who came second behind Bagapsh in the 2004 Presidential election
, and newcomers Beslan Butba
, Zaur Ardzinba and Vitali Bganba. Khajimba had stated that he, Ardzinba and Butba would support each other should one of them reach the second round of the election.
Prospective candidates had to be nominated between 13 October and 2 November 2009. This could be done either by an interest group, which had to present a list of signatures, or by a political party registered with the Central Election Commission. The only parties registered in this way were United Abkhazia
, the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
and the People's Party
. After the nomination period ended on 2 November, the Central Election Commission verified the signature lists and whether candidates satified the set requirements. To test the nominees' proficiency in Abkhaz, it established a language commission consisting of Aleksei Kaslandzia, Batal Khagush, Eva Tania, Adgur Skinkuba and Fatima Kvarchelia. Registration of the candidates had to be completed before 12 November and two days after their registration the Central Election Commission had to publish the list of nominees whose candidacy had been approved.
, but they both volunteered to undergo it anyway. On 6 November, all five nominees were officially registered as candidates, and they received their certificates on 9 November.
One person was nominated who subsequently withdrew his nomination:
. That election was narrowly won by Bagapsh, but this was disputed by Khajimba and his supporters. To end the severe crisis that followed Bagapsh and Khajimba reached an agreement under which Bagapsh became President and Khajimba Vice President. The arrangement was uneasy: Khajimba's Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia remained in opposition and Khajimba on various occasions supported the opposition's criticism of government policy.
Most recently, on 20 May 2009, the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
and several other opposition groupings held a press conference in which they sharply criticised the governments foreign policy. On 28 May Khajimba announced that he agreed with the criticism and that he had filed for resignation. According to some observers Khajimba was partly motivated in his decision by the need to disassociate himself from the current authorities in the run-up to the election.
Bagapsh first addressed the matter of his candidacy when during a press conference in Moscow on 18 April 2009 he announced that he would probably make use of his constitutional right to run for a second term.
, he founded the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia and the private TV station Abaza TV
. On 15 May 2009 Butba first announced that he planned to compete in the presidential election.
reported that during the summer of 2009 Khajimba and Butba had entered negotiations over forming an alliance, but fell out following the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
to Abkhazia. Putin had met with Khajimba, but not with Butba, and Butba considered this an unfriendly act on the part of Khajimba.
During the nomination period for candidates, Khajimba then tried to form a team with Ardzinba. The alliance would have combined Ardzinba's backing by part of the business community and his financial resources with Khajimba's elector popularity. The pair said they would run together during two meetings with voters, and the idea was that they would receive the joint nomination by the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia. According to the Kommersant, in the end the pair could not agree on what positions they would get. Khajimba wanted the Presidency, and offered Ardzinba to become Prime Minister, but this was not acceptable to the latter. The congress of the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia planned on 29 October was called off, and Ardzinba was instead nominated by an initiative group that day. Khajimba had already been nominated by an initiative group on 19 October.
Nevertheless, on 18 November Khajimba and Ardzinba announced that they would continue to coordinate their campaigns, and that they had appointed chairman of Aruaa
Vadim Smyr to lead this coordination. On 20 November, Khajimba stated that he and Ardzinba had different visions on coming to power, but that he did not consider Ardzinba his opponent, and that in the case of a second round, he, Ardzinba and Butba would support each other.
as Vice Presidential candidate. The power-sharing deal between Bagapsh and Khajimba to end the post-election crisis meant that Lakoba could no longer become Vice President. Instead, after the new election on 12 January 2005
, Lakoba was appointed Secretary of the Security Council on 17 February. When Khajimba resigned as Vice President on 28 May 2009 he declared that within the government he had received most support by Lakoba. On 18 August Lakoba himself handed his resignation over the Abkhazian citizenship crisis. In an interview with Caucasian Knot on 3 September Lakoba stated that he would not participate in the December 2009 presidential election and he called absurd the notion that he would join the opposition. Nevertheless, in an interview with the newspaper Nuzhnaya on 17 November, Lakoba stated that as a private citizen he supported Khajimba's candidacy and he praised his work in the Security Council. On 4 December Lakoba had a statement read out on Abkhazian television in which he stressed that this was only his private opinion and that it should not be used by any of the election campaigns.
was a candidate for the Vice Presidency, he was suspended from his post on 11 November as required by law, and his tasks were taken over by First Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia
.
The election campaign was monitored as in previous years by the League of Voters "For Fair Elections". On 26 October, it released its first report and on 5 November it gave a press conference detailing its findings. The League released a second report on 1 December and a third report on 12 December.
The Central Election Commission was headed by Batal Tabagua, first appointed by Bagapsh's predecessor Vladislav Ardzinba
during the crisis following the 2004 election
. In its second report, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections", generally praised the Central Election Commission, but called upon it to be more responsive to the various complaints submitted to it, and it expressed regret that the Commission had not set up its own information service and website.
administration that cost Mayor Astamur Adleiba
and several others their position, but that similar corruption in other cities had been buried by the prosecutor.
This criticism was strongly rejected by the prosecutor's office on 30 November. It claimed that the corruption in the Sukhumi administration could only be investigated properly once Khajimba's allies O.L. Berulava and T.V. Parulua had been take of the case, and that corruption in other cities had not been ignored since misdealings in the Ochamchira district administration
had also been dealt with. It furthermore criticized possibly corrupt affairs during Khajimba's own time as Prime Minister.
Khajimba also spoke out in favour of reducing the bureaucracy
by removing parallel structures in government. Concretely, he proposed removing the legal and economic departments of the Presidential administration in light of the existence of the Justice and Economy Ministries, and the cutting of the position of Vice President
. He also criticised the recruitment of state officials on the basis of their family ties. Khajimba complained that the judiciary was not independent and he proposed that judges should be appointed by the People's Assembly and not by the President. According to the press agency Apsnypress
, judges are actually already elected by Parliament, albeit upon nomination by the President.
On 11 December Khajimba gave a press conference with the Association of Media Workers. He advocated the strengthening of relations with Russia while at the same time preserving the identity of Abkhazia. Regarding the inhabitants of the Gali District, Khajimba denied that he was against granting them Abkhazian citizenship and passports but argued that this should take place according to laws reflecting the will of the people.
In an interview with the newspaper Respublika Abkhaziya Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia
boasted of the sixfold increase of pensions between 2004 and 2009, the increase of pension categories from 16 to 29, the post-war high in fertility and other successes in social policy.
On 11 December, Ardzinba declared that while the power-sharing agreement that resolved the 2004 post-election crisis had meant to bring an end to the division in the Abkhazian society, it had in fact failed to do so, and that he meant to correct that. Ardzinba also spoke out against the size of the bureaucracy, lamenting the duplication of functions.
Apart from these broadcasts, each candidate could also buy one commercial not longer than three minutes, which would be broadcast on national television three times daily.
The private channel Abaza TV
, owned by Beslan Butba, also offered equal amounts of airtime to all candidates.
The League of Voters "For Fair Elections" criticised both the State Radio and TV and Abaza TV for unequal coverage of the election. It noted that the State TV had shown in detail meetings of United Abkhazia
, the party of incumbent President Bagapsh, and that Abaza TV had broadcasted directly from the Congress of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
, the party of its owner Beslan Butba
. Both broadcasts had featured clear agitation in support of the parties' candidates and against the other candidates.
drafted a 10 point-social contract to regulate election conduct, which it opened up for signing from 13 till 18 November. On the first day, head of the Public Chamber Natela Akaba expressed her bepuzzlement over the fact that it had not yet been signed by any of the candidates or the heads of the election campaigns. On 18 November Khajimba and Ardinba stated that they would sign the social contract if and only if Bagapsh were to sign it.
In its second report on 1 December, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" acknowledged that there had been some flaws in the way the Public Contract had been drafted, but it nevertheless criticised President Bagapsh for refusing to sign it.
In its first report, the League "For Fair Elections" admonished certain government officials for calling on voters to vote for President Bagapsh. In its second report, the League specifically singled out the Minister of Education and the Mayor of Sukhumi for participating in Bagapsh's campaign. It furthermore judged that while the General Prosecutor had a right to correct incorrect accusations by opposition candidates, he had gone beyond that and his statements too could be considered campaigning for Bagapsh. The league criticised the opposition for the fact that members of the People's Assembly
had appeared in the campaigns of Khajimba and Ardzinba.
The League also condemned the call of some leaders of the Armenian community on all Armenians to vote for President Bagapsh, and a more covert but similar call for support for Bagapsh by Vice Premier Alexander Stranichkin
during a conference of the Union of Russian Nationals.
On 20 November, Khajimba complained to the Central Election Commission that Bagapsh was trying to influence the election by ordering state-employees to make copies of their passports.
On 25 November the Central Election Commission responded to Khajimba's complaint. It stated that it had not received any concrete examples by Khajimba, but that it had nevertheless investigated the copying of passports in the Sukhumi City Hospital, which had been mentioned by Khajimba in his press conference on 20 November. According to the Central Election Commission, passports had been copied in the context of a human resource program of the health ministry initiated in 2008 involving all medical personnel in Abkhazia, and the matter was thus unrelated to the election campaign.
On 20 November, Khajimba complained to the Central Election Commission that in one of Bagapsh's election videos on TV, foreign nationals had campaigned for him. According to the press agency Apsnypress
, the video had indeed featured several Russian nationals speaking approvingly of Bagapsh, although they did not explicitly recommend voting for him.
In its second report, the League "For Fair Elections" also criticised the fact that the first President of Adygea Aslan Dzharimov
had participated in Bagapsh's campaign. It also considered Beslan Butba's employment of Russian spin doctors to be in breach of the constitution.
Opposition candidates complained that on 23 November, their election posters were torn in Gagra
.
In its second report, the League condemned the campaigns of Ardzinba and Butba for using recordings of ordinary citizens without their consent.
This last decision was sharply and repeatedly criticised by the League "For Fair Elections" as violating the Constitution of Abkhazia
. It strongly recommended that the sides should come to agree that the suspension be lifted before the election, and it criticised the opposition for its unwillingness to do so. The League also considered the general ambiguous effects of making the Abkhazian passport the sole document granting participation in the election. It praised the increased overall transparency but lamented the electoral exclusion of most inhabitants of the Gali District, pointing out the fact that only 3500 inhabitants of the Gali District would be able to participate in the election, whereas 25,000, 12,000 and 15,000 inhabitants of the Gali District had voted in the elections of 1999, 2005 and 2007. The League warned that the legitimacy of the election would be judged on the basis of the participation of ethnic minorities.
On 24 November, Ardzinba, Khajimba and Butba complained to Minister of Internal Affairs Otar Khetsia that the State Passport Service had refused to provide them with the number of Abkhazian passport holders, divided out by district and nationality, the number of passport holders abroad and the number of Abkhazian citizens under the age of 18. Specifically, the trio requested anonymised passport data for the Gali District.
, said by Butba's campaign to be the district office of the agro-industrial complex 'Aradu', owned by Butba. Butba condemned the events on 21 November as "planned political provocations, aimed at destabilising the situation in Abkhazia and intidating society". They were labeled 'terrorist attacks' by Aruaa
, "aimed at intimidating voters and destabilising the country". It lamented "the inability of authorities to ensure the safety of citizens and the rule of law in such a challenging period for our nation and state" and it warned that should the government not in the course of the following days take decisive steps towards resolving the crimes, Aruaa would consider it partly to blame for the resulting civil unrest.
Minister of the Interior Otar Khetsia stated on 21 November that criminal cases had been opened by law enforcement agencies in Gagra and Aradu. He noted that Azhiba's car had stood along the road at a far distance from his home, and while he confirmed that fire had broken out, he cautioned that it was up to the investigation to establish whether the car had exploded or been set fire to. Khetsia also confirmed that a warehouse for kiwifruit
had burned down in Aradu, and that everything would be done to find the perpetrators, but he expressed his surprise at the fact that reporters from Abaza TV
(owned by Butba) had been at the crime scene before officers from the Ochamchira police department.
The prosecutor's office declared on 30 November that the incidents were under investigation, and it condemned accusations of government involvement, warning that it would prosecute any attempts to destabilise the situation.
In its second report, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" called alarming the burning incidents and it called for an impartial, thorough and speedy investigation.
On 11 December Khajimba gave a press conference with the Association of Media Workers. He expressed his conviction that all opposition candidates would conduct their activities within the law, but he accused the government of planning fraud and of using its administrative resources to support the campaign of Bagapsh. He claimed that if he had used the administrative at his position when he was Prime Minister, he would have won the 2004 election
. He also denied that he had received any Russian support during that election, and praised the fact the Russian government was not supporting any candidate now. He did not exclude the possibility that the opposition would start street protests should the government manipulate the election.
Likewise, Ardzinba said on 11 December that while the 2004 election had been 'stolen', the opposition would not allow that to happen this time.
Conversely, in its second report the League of Voters "For Free Elections" condemned the campaign of Butba for soliciting voters to sign a 'contract' in which they committed themselves to voting for Butba during the election. The League also reported receiving unconfirmed reports of vote buying.
On 3 December Head of the Central Election Commission Batal Tabagua also stated that although no official complaints had been made, reports had come in concerning the bribing of voters. He warned that if this turned out to be true, the candidate in question would be excluded from the election.
– in Moscow
and Cherkessk
– they were officially part of electoral district no. 5 in Sukhumi. Their election commissions were appointed by Abkhazian Ambassador to Russia Igor Akhba
. Ten days before election day, on 2 December, lists of voters were distributed. On 10 and 11 December, the ballot papers were handed out to the election commissions.
On Election Day, the voting stations were open from 08:00 until 20:00. The Abkhazian passport
was the only document voters could use to identify themselves. To prevent multiple voting, the passports of voters were stamped on page 17. On 7 December, there were 146,121 holders of an Abkhazian passport, of which 9910 were under the age of 18 and thus ineligible to vote, and 5759 lived outside Abkhazia. The total number of eligible voters was estimated at 127,000.
Raul Khajimba was the first of the candidates to vote, at 9:00, followed by Sergei Bagapsh at 9:30. Beslan Butba intended to vote at 10:00 but had to come back late due to the huge crowd at the polling station.
At 12:00, the turn-out was 21%, at 15:00 it was 40.77%.
The results of the election are to be published no later than three days after the election, that is, 15 December. If a second round is necessary, it is to be held no later than two weeks after the first round, that is, before 26 December.
announced that it would send a delegation to Abkhazia from 11 to 13 December to monitor the election. On 8 December it was announced that also the State Duma
and various Russian NGOs would send delegations during that period.
According to the final results, Bagapsh won with 61.16% of the vote, meaning a runoff is not necessary.
Georgia (country) – The election was condemned as illegal on 20 November by the Central Election Commission of Georgia
, which considers Abkhazia to be part of its territory. On 11 December the spokesperson of Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili
called the election an immoral Kremlin-staged comedy.
Russia – Two polling stations were opened in Russia for local Abkhazian citizens to vote in the elections. After the election results were announced, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
and President Dmitry Medvedev
congratulated Bagapsh for his victory.
United States - The Department of State called the elections illegitimate and illegal, and reiterated its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
held its fourth Presidential election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was won by incumbent president Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was the second President of the Republic of Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and was later elected as President in 2005. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election...
in the first round with 61% of the votes, thus gaining a second term in office. He was be inaugurated on 12 February 2010. Bagapsh competed against four opposition candidates: former Vice President and Prime Minister Raul Khajimba, who came second behind Bagapsh in the 2004 Presidential election
Abkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
, and newcomers Beslan Butba
Beslan Butba
Beslan Butba is a businessman and opposition politician from Abkhazia. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia...
, Zaur Ardzinba and Vitali Bganba. Khajimba had stated that he, Ardzinba and Butba would support each other should one of them reach the second round of the election.
Requirements and the procedure for registration
According to the Law on the Election of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia, candidates for the Presidency have to:- possess Abkhazian citizenship;
- be of Abkhaz nationality;
- be fluent in the Abkhaz language;
- be no younger than 35 and no older than 65 years of age;
- be eligible to vote;
- have permanently lived in Abkhazia for the last five years up to the election day;
- have an account in a credit institution officially registered in Abkhazia.
Prospective candidates had to be nominated between 13 October and 2 November 2009. This could be done either by an interest group, which had to present a list of signatures, or by a political party registered with the Central Election Commission. The only parties registered in this way were United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004 as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections....
, the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007...
and the People's Party
People's Party of Abkhazia
The People’s Party of Abkhazia is an oppositional political party in Abkhazia led by Iakub Lakoba. Founded in March 1992 it is one of the oldest political parties in Abkhazia. The People's Party was one of the parties that stood at the basis of the Forum of Abkhaz People's Unity founded 8 February...
. After the nomination period ended on 2 November, the Central Election Commission verified the signature lists and whether candidates satified the set requirements. To test the nominees' proficiency in Abkhaz, it established a language commission consisting of Aleksei Kaslandzia, Batal Khagush, Eva Tania, Adgur Skinkuba and Fatima Kvarchelia. Registration of the candidates had to be completed before 12 November and two days after their registration the Central Election Commission had to publish the list of nominees whose candidacy had been approved.
Candidates
Five people were nominated for the presidency. On 5 November they successfully passed the Abkhaz language examination. Bagapsh and Khajimba were exempted from it as they had already passed a similar examination during the 2004 Presidential electionAbkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
, but they both volunteered to undergo it anyway. On 6 November, all five nominees were officially registered as candidates, and they received their certificates on 9 November.
| Presidential candidate | Career | Vice Presidential candidate | Career | Political support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominated by an interest group on 14 October. | |||
| Vitali Resh-ipa Bganba | David Dasania | |||
 |
|
Nominated by an interest group on 19 October. On 20 October received the additional support of the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, Aruaa Aruaa Aruaa is an organisation in Abkhazia uniting veterans of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia. It was founded 10 May 2007. 534 people were present at its founding congress. The first Minister of Defence of Abkhazia Vladimir Arshba was unanimously elected Chairman of the organisation, and Vadim Smyr and... and Akhatsa. |
||
| Raul Jumka-ipa Khajimba | Vasilii Avidzba | |||
|
Abaza TV Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a... and Ekho Abkhazii |
|
Nominated on 23 October by the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007... , which he leads. Received the additional support of Iakub Lakoba Iakub Lakoba Iakub Uasyl-Ipa Lakoba is an opposition politician and former Presidential candidate in the internationally unrecognised Republic of Abkhazia.-Early life and career:... , head of the People's Party People's Party of Abkhazia The People’s Party of Abkhazia is an oppositional political party in Abkhazia led by Iakub Lakoba. Founded in March 1992 it is one of the oldest political parties in Abkhazia. The People's Party was one of the parties that stood at the basis of the Forum of Abkhaz People's Unity founded 8 February... and a candidate in the two previous presidential elections, and Vitali Bigvava, representative of the youth organisation Apsilaa. Campaign headed by Leon Ajinjal. |
||
| Beslan Butba Beslan Butba Beslan Butba is a businessman and opposition politician from Abkhazia. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia... |
Almasbei Kchach | |||
|
Chernomorenergo Chernomorenergo is a state-owned power company of Abkhazia. It is an operator of the Inguri hydroelectric power station. The managing director of Chernomorenergo is Rezo Zantaria. Sergei Bagapsh, the president of Abkhazia, managed Chernomorenergo in 2000-2004.... (2000–2005) |
|
Nominated on 27 October by United Abkhazia United Abkhazia United Abkhazia is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004 as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections.... . On 18 November received the additional support of the Communist Party Communist Party of Abkhazia The Communist Party of Abkhazia is a political party in the Georgian break-away republic of Abkhazia. The party leader is Lev Shamba.The CPA was founded in March 1921 with the demand of a separate Abkhaz Soviet Republic. It was then led by E. Eshba. Eshba had formed a Bolshevik... . |
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| Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh Sergei Bagapsh Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was the second President of the Republic of Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and was later elected as President in 2005. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election... |
Aleksandr Zolotinska-ipa Ankvab Alexander Ankvab Alyksandr Zolotinska-ipa Ankvab is an Abkhaz politician and businessman who has been President of Abkhazia since 2011. Under President Sergei Bagapsh, he previously served as Prime Minister from 2005 to 2010 and Vice-President from 2010 to 2011.... |
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Ochamchira district Ochamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto... (?–?) |
Nominated by an interest group on 29 October. | ||
| Zaur Ardzinba | Khripsom Jopua |
One person was nominated who subsequently withdrew his nomination:
- Jamalik Aiba. Aiba was nominated by an interest group on 23 October. On 26 October the Central Election Commission reported that Aiba had withdrawn his nomination.
Bagapsh, Khajimba, the 2004 election and the power-sharing agreement
Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khajimba already competed for the presidency in the 2004 Presidential electionAbkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
. That election was narrowly won by Bagapsh, but this was disputed by Khajimba and his supporters. To end the severe crisis that followed Bagapsh and Khajimba reached an agreement under which Bagapsh became President and Khajimba Vice President. The arrangement was uneasy: Khajimba's Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia remained in opposition and Khajimba on various occasions supported the opposition's criticism of government policy.
Most recently, on 20 May 2009, the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007...
and several other opposition groupings held a press conference in which they sharply criticised the governments foreign policy. On 28 May Khajimba announced that he agreed with the criticism and that he had filed for resignation. According to some observers Khajimba was partly motivated in his decision by the need to disassociate himself from the current authorities in the run-up to the election.
Bagapsh first addressed the matter of his candidacy when during a press conference in Moscow on 18 April 2009 he announced that he would probably make use of his constitutional right to run for a second term.
Beslan Butba
Beslan Butba is a prominent businessman and a former member of the People's Assembly. When he failed to retain his seat in the 2007 electionsAbkhazian parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections were held in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on 4 March 2007; a run-off round was held in seventeen constituencies on 18 March 2007. 189 polling stations were organized to elect 35 parliament members. 47.25% of about 130,000 registered voters participated in the first...
, he founded the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia and the private TV station Abaza TV
Abaza TV
Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...
. On 15 May 2009 Butba first announced that he planned to compete in the presidential election.
Attempts by Khajimba to form alliances with Butba and Ardzinba
In the run-up to the election, various opposition politicians and organisation often jointly expressed their criticism of the government. The Russian newspaper KommersantKommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
reported that during the summer of 2009 Khajimba and Butba had entered negotiations over forming an alliance, but fell out following the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
to Abkhazia. Putin had met with Khajimba, but not with Butba, and Butba considered this an unfriendly act on the part of Khajimba.
During the nomination period for candidates, Khajimba then tried to form a team with Ardzinba. The alliance would have combined Ardzinba's backing by part of the business community and his financial resources with Khajimba's elector popularity. The pair said they would run together during two meetings with voters, and the idea was that they would receive the joint nomination by the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia. According to the Kommersant, in the end the pair could not agree on what positions they would get. Khajimba wanted the Presidency, and offered Ardzinba to become Prime Minister, but this was not acceptable to the latter. The congress of the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia planned on 29 October was called off, and Ardzinba was instead nominated by an initiative group that day. Khajimba had already been nominated by an initiative group on 19 October.
Nevertheless, on 18 November Khajimba and Ardzinba announced that they would continue to coordinate their campaigns, and that they had appointed chairman of Aruaa
Aruaa
Aruaa is an organisation in Abkhazia uniting veterans of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia. It was founded 10 May 2007. 534 people were present at its founding congress. The first Minister of Defence of Abkhazia Vladimir Arshba was unanimously elected Chairman of the organisation, and Vadim Smyr and...
Vadim Smyr to lead this coordination. On 20 November, Khajimba stated that he and Ardzinba had different visions on coming to power, but that he did not consider Ardzinba his opponent, and that in the case of a second round, he, Ardzinba and Butba would support each other.
Sergei Shamba
Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Shamba was another potential presidential candidate. Shamba had participated and come third in the 2004 election. Even though he had originally been brought into the cabinet by Khajimba over Bagapsh' preferred candidate he rejected the opposition criticism of Abkhazia's foreign policy that led Khajimba to resign.Stanislav Lakoba
In the 2004 election, Bagapsh had run with Stanislav LakobaStanislav Lakoba
Stanislav Lakoba is an academic and politician from Abkhazia. Lakoba was current president Bagapsh's Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2004 Presidential election and until 25 August 2009 he served as Secretary of the Security Council...
as Vice Presidential candidate. The power-sharing deal between Bagapsh and Khajimba to end the post-election crisis meant that Lakoba could no longer become Vice President. Instead, after the new election on 12 January 2005
Abkhazian presidential election, 2005
Presidential elections were held in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on 12 January 2005.-Background:A Presidential election had been held in Abkhazia on 3 October, but had resulted in a prolonged conflict over the results between the two main contenders, Raul Khadjimba, who had been Prime...
, Lakoba was appointed Secretary of the Security Council on 17 February. When Khajimba resigned as Vice President on 28 May 2009 he declared that within the government he had received most support by Lakoba. On 18 August Lakoba himself handed his resignation over the Abkhazian citizenship crisis. In an interview with Caucasian Knot on 3 September Lakoba stated that he would not participate in the December 2009 presidential election and he called absurd the notion that he would join the opposition. Nevertheless, in an interview with the newspaper Nuzhnaya on 17 November, Lakoba stated that as a private citizen he supported Khajimba's candidacy and he praised his work in the Security Council. On 4 December Lakoba had a statement read out on Abkhazian television in which he stressed that this was only his private opinion and that it should not be used by any of the election campaigns.
Election campaign
The election campaign official began when the candidates received their registration certificates on 9 November. Since Prime Minister Alexander AnkvabAlexander Ankvab
Alyksandr Zolotinska-ipa Ankvab is an Abkhaz politician and businessman who has been President of Abkhazia since 2011. Under President Sergei Bagapsh, he previously served as Prime Minister from 2005 to 2010 and Vice-President from 2010 to 2011....
was a candidate for the Vice Presidency, he was suspended from his post on 11 November as required by law, and his tasks were taken over by First Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia
Leonid Lakerbaia
Leonid Ivan-ipa Lakerbaia is the Prime Minister of Abkhazia and chairman of the socio-political movement Aitaira...
.
The election campaign was monitored as in previous years by the League of Voters "For Fair Elections". On 26 October, it released its first report and on 5 November it gave a press conference detailing its findings. The League released a second report on 1 December and a third report on 12 December.
The Central Election Commission was headed by Batal Tabagua, first appointed by Bagapsh's predecessor Vladislav Ardzinba
Vladislav Ardzinba
Vladislav Grigori-ipa Ardzinba was the first President of Abkhazia. A historian by education, Ardzinba led Abkhazia to de facto independence in the 1992-1993 War with Georgia, but its de jure independence from Georgia remained internationally unrecognised during Ardzinba's two terms as President...
during the crisis following the 2004 election
Abkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
. In its second report, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections", generally praised the Central Election Commission, but called upon it to be more responsive to the various complaints submitted to it, and it expressed regret that the Commission had not set up its own information service and website.
Raul Khajimba
On 20 November Khajimba gave a press conference in which he talked about some of his political positions. He spoke out in favour of free press and of equal access to information sources for all journalists. He promised that if he won the election he would not prosecute journalists for their view of events. Khajimba also promised to continue to fight corruption by providing decent wages and the certainty of punishment in the event of corruption. He claimed that while still in government, he had brought to light the corruption in the SukhumiSukhumi
Sukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
administration that cost Mayor Astamur Adleiba
Astamur Adleiba
Astamur Anton-ipa Adleiba is a former Minister of Youth, Sports, Tourism and Resorts of Abkhazia and a former mayor of Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi. He was dismissed from this last position for corruption.-Early life and career:...
and several others their position, but that similar corruption in other cities had been buried by the prosecutor.
This criticism was strongly rejected by the prosecutor's office on 30 November. It claimed that the corruption in the Sukhumi administration could only be investigated properly once Khajimba's allies O.L. Berulava and T.V. Parulua had been take of the case, and that corruption in other cities had not been ignored since misdealings in the Ochamchira district administration
Ochamchira district
Ochamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto...
had also been dealt with. It furthermore criticized possibly corrupt affairs during Khajimba's own time as Prime Minister.
Khajimba also spoke out in favour of reducing the bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
by removing parallel structures in government. Concretely, he proposed removing the legal and economic departments of the Presidential administration in light of the existence of the Justice and Economy Ministries, and the cutting of the position of Vice President
Vice President of Abkhazia
The Vice President of the Abkhaz Republic, an partially recognized state, internationally regarded as a part of Georgia, is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of Abkhazia upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President...
. He also criticised the recruitment of state officials on the basis of their family ties. Khajimba complained that the judiciary was not independent and he proposed that judges should be appointed by the People's Assembly and not by the President. According to the press agency Apsnypress
Apsnypress
Apsnypress is the state press agency of Abkhazia, an unrecognized, but de facto independent republic, considered de jure to be a part of Georgia...
, judges are actually already elected by Parliament, albeit upon nomination by the President.
On 11 December Khajimba gave a press conference with the Association of Media Workers. He advocated the strengthening of relations with Russia while at the same time preserving the identity of Abkhazia. Regarding the inhabitants of the Gali District, Khajimba denied that he was against granting them Abkhazian citizenship and passports but argued that this should take place according to laws reflecting the will of the people.
Sergei Bagapsh
During a visit to a school in Sukhumi on 23 November, Bagapsh stated that education and health were his priorities, that wages would probably be raised in these areas in the coming year, that it was impossible to solve all problems simultaneously and that opposition promises of raising wages to 20,000 rubles were blatant lies. His Vice Presidential candidate Ankvab talked about the achievements of the current government, claiming that 10,622 people had received a total of 67 million rubles in assistance. He also praised the fact that patients had been sent to Russian medical institutions to receive free treatment.In an interview with the newspaper Respublika Abkhaziya Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia
Leonid Lakerbaia
Leonid Ivan-ipa Lakerbaia is the Prime Minister of Abkhazia and chairman of the socio-political movement Aitaira...
boasted of the sixfold increase of pensions between 2004 and 2009, the increase of pension categories from 16 to 29, the post-war high in fertility and other successes in social policy.
Zaur Ardzinba
On 24 November Ardzinba gave a press conference in which he stated that if he were elected President, he would do everything to bring together the fragmented people of Abkhazia and to remove the divide between 'us' and 'them'. He also declared that he would make use of qualified people in the government administration, from all political camps.On 11 December, Ardzinba declared that while the power-sharing agreement that resolved the 2004 post-election crisis had meant to bring an end to the division in the Abkhazian society, it had in fact failed to do so, and that he meant to correct that. Ardzinba also spoke out against the size of the bureaucracy, lamenting the duplication of functions.
TV broadcasts
Each candidate received four hours of free air time on national television in the four weeks running up to election day. During the first week (from 16 to 20 November) candidates had to either address voters live and answer questions from voters or send in a pre-recorded dvd. In the second week the candidates, assisted by no more than five associates, would answer questions of voters present in the studio, or send in a pre-recorded dvd. In the third week the Vice-Presidential candidate had to answer questions from voters. In the last week the Presidential candidate again had to address voters live and answer questions.Apart from these broadcasts, each candidate could also buy one commercial not longer than three minutes, which would be broadcast on national television three times daily.
The private channel Abaza TV
Abaza TV
Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...
, owned by Beslan Butba, also offered equal amounts of airtime to all candidates.
The League of Voters "For Fair Elections" criticised both the State Radio and TV and Abaza TV for unequal coverage of the election. It noted that the State TV had shown in detail meetings of United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004 as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections....
, the party of incumbent President Bagapsh, and that Abaza TV had broadcasted directly from the Congress of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia
The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007...
, the party of its owner Beslan Butba
Beslan Butba
Beslan Butba is a businessman and opposition politician from Abkhazia. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia...
. Both broadcasts had featured clear agitation in support of the parties' candidates and against the other candidates.
Newspapers
Most newspapers of Abkhazia campaigned for one of the candidates, with Edinoy Abkhazii, Amtsakhara and Respublika Abkhaziya on the side of incumbent President Bagapsh, and Ekho Abkhazii, Forum, Novy Den and Nuzhnaya on the side of the opposition. The League of Voters "For Fair Elections" condemned the unbalanced and incomplete reporting in both pro-government and pro-opposition papers. It particularly condemned the fact that Butba had replaced all the journalists of his newspaper Ekho Abkhazii by political activists. It also criticised an article by Daur Achugba in Forum for its gross unsubstantiated accusations against the government and President Bagapsh in particular, and its statements directed against a national minority.Public contract
With input from all involved parties the Public ChamberPublic Chamber of Abkhazia
The Public Chamber of Abkhazia is an advisory body to the President of the internationally underrecognised Republic of Abkhazia.-Creation of the Public Chamber:...
drafted a 10 point-social contract to regulate election conduct, which it opened up for signing from 13 till 18 November. On the first day, head of the Public Chamber Natela Akaba expressed her bepuzzlement over the fact that it had not yet been signed by any of the candidates or the heads of the election campaigns. On 18 November Khajimba and Ardinba stated that they would sign the social contract if and only if Bagapsh were to sign it.
In its second report on 1 December, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" acknowledged that there had been some flaws in the way the Public Contract had been drafted, but it nevertheless criticised President Bagapsh for refusing to sign it.
Use of administrative resources
Government officials were by law forbidden to participate in the election campaign.In its first report, the League "For Fair Elections" admonished certain government officials for calling on voters to vote for President Bagapsh. In its second report, the League specifically singled out the Minister of Education and the Mayor of Sukhumi for participating in Bagapsh's campaign. It furthermore judged that while the General Prosecutor had a right to correct incorrect accusations by opposition candidates, he had gone beyond that and his statements too could be considered campaigning for Bagapsh. The league criticised the opposition for the fact that members of the People's Assembly
People's Assembly
People's Assembly refers to various legislative bodies:Ancient:* People's Assembly or Plebeian Council of Ancient Rome* Other Ancient Roman assembliesModern:* People's Assembly of Abkhazia...
had appeared in the campaigns of Khajimba and Ardzinba.
The League also condemned the call of some leaders of the Armenian community on all Armenians to vote for President Bagapsh, and a more covert but similar call for support for Bagapsh by Vice Premier Alexander Stranichkin
Alexander Stranichkin
Alexander Viktorovich Stranichkin is an Abkhazian politician. A former vice-speaker of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia, Stranichkin currently serving as one of the four vice-premiers of the Republic of Abkhazia....
during a conference of the Union of Russian Nationals.
On 20 November, Khajimba complained to the Central Election Commission that Bagapsh was trying to influence the election by ordering state-employees to make copies of their passports.
On 25 November the Central Election Commission responded to Khajimba's complaint. It stated that it had not received any concrete examples by Khajimba, but that it had nevertheless investigated the copying of passports in the Sukhumi City Hospital, which had been mentioned by Khajimba in his press conference on 20 November. According to the Central Election Commission, passports had been copied in the context of a human resource program of the health ministry initiated in 2008 involving all medical personnel in Abkhazia, and the matter was thus unrelated to the election campaign.
Use of foreign nationals in campaigns
Abkhazian election law forbade foreign nationals from taking part in the election campaign.On 20 November, Khajimba complained to the Central Election Commission that in one of Bagapsh's election videos on TV, foreign nationals had campaigned for him. According to the press agency Apsnypress
Apsnypress
Apsnypress is the state press agency of Abkhazia, an unrecognized, but de facto independent republic, considered de jure to be a part of Georgia...
, the video had indeed featured several Russian nationals speaking approvingly of Bagapsh, although they did not explicitly recommend voting for him.
In its second report, the League "For Fair Elections" also criticised the fact that the first President of Adygea Aslan Dzharimov
Aslan Dzharimov
Aslan Aliyevich Dzharimov is a Russian politician of Adyghe ethnicity who served as the President of the Republic of Adygea.-Education:He graduated from the Agronomy Faculty of the Kuban Agricultural Institute in 1964, post-graduate degree in agricultural economics in 1968 , ANI of the Central...
had participated in Bagapsh's campaign. It also considered Beslan Butba's employment of Russian spin doctors to be in breach of the constitution.
Other violations
In its press conference on 5 November the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" condemned United Abkhazia and the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia for having started campaigning before the official start of the election campaign when the candidates were registered.Opposition candidates complained that on 23 November, their election posters were torn in Gagra
Gagra
Gagra is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains...
.
In its second report, the League condemned the campaigns of Ardzinba and Butba for using recordings of ordinary citizens without their consent.
Abkhazian citizenship dispute
The 2009 presidential election was the first in which voters could only use their Abkhazian passport to identify themselves. This disenfranchised mostly the Georgian part of Abkhazian society, since the majority of Georgians does not have Abkhazian citizenship. In the run-up to the election, President Bagapsh attempted to extend the number of Georgians eligible for Abkhazian citizenship, but had to abandon these plans under opposition protests, and the government decided to suspend until after the election the issuing of new passports to residents of the Gali District, where most Georgians live.This last decision was sharply and repeatedly criticised by the League "For Fair Elections" as violating the Constitution of Abkhazia
Constitution of Abkhazia
The Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia was adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia of the 12th convocation on November 26, 1994, and by the national referendum on October 3, 1999, with an amendment adopted by the national referendum on the same day.-Structure:The...
. It strongly recommended that the sides should come to agree that the suspension be lifted before the election, and it criticised the opposition for its unwillingness to do so. The League also considered the general ambiguous effects of making the Abkhazian passport the sole document granting participation in the election. It praised the increased overall transparency but lamented the electoral exclusion of most inhabitants of the Gali District, pointing out the fact that only 3500 inhabitants of the Gali District would be able to participate in the election, whereas 25,000, 12,000 and 15,000 inhabitants of the Gali District had voted in the elections of 1999, 2005 and 2007. The League warned that the legitimacy of the election would be judged on the basis of the participation of ethnic minorities.
On 24 November, Ardzinba, Khajimba and Butba complained to Minister of Internal Affairs Otar Khetsia that the State Passport Service had refused to provide them with the number of Abkhazian passport holders, divided out by district and nationality, the number of passport holders abroad and the number of Abkhazian citizens under the age of 18. Specifically, the trio requested anonymised passport data for the Gali District.
Fire incidents involving Beslan Butba's campaign
On 19 November, in Gagra the car of Vitali Azhiba burned down, head of the regional branch of Beslan Butba's Party of the Economical Development of Abkhazia. On 20 November a building burned down in the village of Aradu in the Ochamchira DistrictOchamchira district
Ochamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto...
, said by Butba's campaign to be the district office of the agro-industrial complex 'Aradu', owned by Butba. Butba condemned the events on 21 November as "planned political provocations, aimed at destabilising the situation in Abkhazia and intidating society". They were labeled 'terrorist attacks' by Aruaa
Aruaa
Aruaa is an organisation in Abkhazia uniting veterans of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia. It was founded 10 May 2007. 534 people were present at its founding congress. The first Minister of Defence of Abkhazia Vladimir Arshba was unanimously elected Chairman of the organisation, and Vadim Smyr and...
, "aimed at intimidating voters and destabilising the country". It lamented "the inability of authorities to ensure the safety of citizens and the rule of law in such a challenging period for our nation and state" and it warned that should the government not in the course of the following days take decisive steps towards resolving the crimes, Aruaa would consider it partly to blame for the resulting civil unrest.
Minister of the Interior Otar Khetsia stated on 21 November that criminal cases had been opened by law enforcement agencies in Gagra and Aradu. He noted that Azhiba's car had stood along the road at a far distance from his home, and while he confirmed that fire had broken out, he cautioned that it was up to the investigation to establish whether the car had exploded or been set fire to. Khetsia also confirmed that a warehouse for kiwifruit
Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit, often shortened to kiwi in many parts of the world, is the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia....
had burned down in Aradu, and that everything would be done to find the perpetrators, but he expressed his surprise at the fact that reporters from Abaza TV
Abaza TV
Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...
(owned by Butba) had been at the crime scene before officers from the Ochamchira police department.
The prosecutor's office declared on 30 November that the incidents were under investigation, and it condemned accusations of government involvement, warning that it would prosecute any attempts to destabilise the situation.
In its second report, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" called alarming the burning incidents and it called for an impartial, thorough and speedy investigation.
Possible election fraud
Some of the opposition candidates have repeatedly speculated that the government might try to rig the election. On 20 November, Khajimba requested to know the number of eligible voters abroad. and also on 20 November, Zaur Ardzinba requested of the Central Election Commission that it publish the names of the members of the central, district and divisional election commissions, including those abroad.On 11 December Khajimba gave a press conference with the Association of Media Workers. He expressed his conviction that all opposition candidates would conduct their activities within the law, but he accused the government of planning fraud and of using its administrative resources to support the campaign of Bagapsh. He claimed that if he had used the administrative at his position when he was Prime Minister, he would have won the 2004 election
Abkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
. He also denied that he had received any Russian support during that election, and praised the fact the Russian government was not supporting any candidate now. He did not exclude the possibility that the opposition would start street protests should the government manipulate the election.
Likewise, Ardzinba said on 11 December that while the 2004 election had been 'stolen', the opposition would not allow that to happen this time.
Conversely, in its second report the League of Voters "For Free Elections" condemned the campaign of Butba for soliciting voters to sign a 'contract' in which they committed themselves to voting for Butba during the election. The League also reported receiving unconfirmed reports of vote buying.
On 3 December Head of the Central Election Commission Batal Tabagua also stated that although no official complaints had been made, reports had come in concerning the bribing of voters. He warned that if this turned out to be true, the candidate in question would be excluded from the election.
Election
On 7 October 2009, the date of the election was set by the People's Assembly to be 12 December. The voting was structured through the 35 electoral districts of Abkhazia, comprising a total of 174 polling stations. Two of these were stationed in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
– in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Cherkessk
Cherkessk
Cherkessk is the capital city of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population: 121,439 ; 116,244 ; -History:...
– they were officially part of electoral district no. 5 in Sukhumi. Their election commissions were appointed by Abkhazian Ambassador to Russia Igor Akhba
Igor Akhba
Igor Murat-ipa Akhba is the current ambassador of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Russian Federation, and a one time Minister for Foreign Affairs.-Early life and career:...
. Ten days before election day, on 2 December, lists of voters were distributed. On 10 and 11 December, the ballot papers were handed out to the election commissions.
On Election Day, the voting stations were open from 08:00 until 20:00. The Abkhazian passport
Abkhazian passport
The Abkhazian passport is issued to citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia for the purpose of international travel and for the purpose of legal identification within Abkhazia...
was the only document voters could use to identify themselves. To prevent multiple voting, the passports of voters were stamped on page 17. On 7 December, there were 146,121 holders of an Abkhazian passport, of which 9910 were under the age of 18 and thus ineligible to vote, and 5759 lived outside Abkhazia. The total number of eligible voters was estimated at 127,000.
Raul Khajimba was the first of the candidates to vote, at 9:00, followed by Sergei Bagapsh at 9:30. Beslan Butba intended to vote at 10:00 but had to come back late due to the huge crowd at the polling station.
At 12:00, the turn-out was 21%, at 15:00 it was 40.77%.
The results of the election are to be published no later than three days after the election, that is, 15 December. If a second round is necessary, it is to be held no later than two weeks after the first round, that is, before 26 December.
Monitoring
On 1 December the Public Chamber of RussiaPublic Chamber of Russia
The Public Chamber is a state institution with 126 members created in 2005 in Russia to analyze draft legislation and monitor the activities of the parliament, government and other government bodies of Russia and its Federal Subjects. It has a role similar to an oversight committee and has...
announced that it would send a delegation to Abkhazia from 11 to 13 December to monitor the election. On 8 December it was announced that also the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
and various Russian NGOs would send delegations during that period.
Results
According to the Abkhazian electoral commission, after the first results had come through, Bagapsh was leading with 59.4% of the vote while Khajimba was in second place with 15.4%.According to the final results, Bagapsh won with 61.16% of the vote, meaning a runoff is not necessary.
International reactions
Georgia (country) – The election was condemned as illegal on 20 November by the Central Election Commission of GeorgiaGeorgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, which considers Abkhazia to be part of its territory. On 11 December the spokesperson of Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili is a Georgian politician, the third and current President of Georgia and leader of the United National Movement Party.Involved in the national politics since 1995, Saakashvili became president on 25 January 2004 after President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in a November 2003...
called the election an immoral Kremlin-staged comedy.
Russia – Two polling stations were opened in Russia for local Abkhazian citizens to vote in the elections. After the election results were announced, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
and President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
congratulated Bagapsh for his victory.
United States - The Department of State called the elections illegitimate and illegal, and reiterated its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.