The pro-Russian acting president of Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region has won the second round of presidential elections, local media reported on Sunday.
Badra Gunba took almost 55% of the vote in the Saturday election, ahead of opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba, a former economy minister, on just under 42%, Abkhazian state news agency Apsnypress reported, citing preliminary results from the electoral commission.
The vast majority of countries recognize Abkhazia as a part of Georgia. The government in the Georgian capital Tbilisi called the election “another flagrant violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Reuters reported.
A second round of voting was forced by no candidate securing a majority in the first round on February 15. The run-off was briefly disrupted when masked attackers stormed a polling station and threatened election officials, U.S. financial magazine Barron’s reported.
Gunba, Abkhazia's vice president since 2020, took over as acting leader in November after his ally Aslan Bzhania resigned during mass protests against an investment agreement with Russia. Critics argued the move would lead to uncontrolled real estate development.
It was the third time since 2014 that an Abkhazian leader had been driven from office by mass protests.
The second-placed Ardzinba is aligned with protesters but favors maintaining links with Moscow.
Though the territory is politically and economically dependent on Russia, some Abkhazians have been critical of what they see as Moscow's growing influence in the breakaway state.
A coastal territory of around 240,000 people on the Black Sea, Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after a war in the early 1990s, with the support of Russia. Moscow recognized it as independent after another war in 2008.
Tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from the region in successive conflicts.
The vast majority of countries recognize Abkhazia as a part of Georgia. The government in the Georgian capital Tbilisi called the election “another flagrant violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Reuters reported.
A second round of voting was forced by no candidate securing a majority in the first round on February 15. The run-off was briefly disrupted when masked attackers stormed a polling station and threatened election officials, U.S. financial magazine Barron’s reported.
Gunba, Abkhazia's vice president since 2020, took over as acting leader in November after his ally Aslan Bzhania resigned during mass protests against an investment agreement with Russia. Critics argued the move would lead to uncontrolled real estate development.
It was the third time since 2014 that an Abkhazian leader had been driven from office by mass protests.
The second-placed Ardzinba is aligned with protesters but favors maintaining links with Moscow.
Though the territory is politically and economically dependent on Russia, some Abkhazians have been critical of what they see as Moscow's growing influence in the breakaway state.
A coastal territory of around 240,000 people on the Black Sea, Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after a war in the early 1990s, with the support of Russia. Moscow recognized it as independent after another war in 2008.
Tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from the region in successive conflicts.
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