Kremlin defies norms to back one Abkhaz presidential candidate in snap presidential elections

Kremlin continues to support Gunba

Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has warned presidential candidate Badra Gunba against the improper use of administrative resources during his campaign. In reality, this refers to unprecedented support from the Kremlin, which continues to back Gunba despite electoral norms.

Abkhazia presidential election: Two finalists advance, no winner yet

The second round, scheduled for March 1, will see the ruling party’s candidate, Badra Gunba, face off against opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba.

Moscow persistently treats Badra Gunba as an incumbent official, despite him holding no such position.

Russian ministers and federal agency heads frequently visit Abkhazia, presenting gifts to the republic in Gunba’s presence—ranging from school textbooks to ambulances. Cultural and public events are tailored to showcase him.

Allegedly at Gunba’s request, Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to explore ways to involve Abkhaz youth in “a wide range of projects.”

And the list goes on.

All of this is being done with a clear objective: to instill in Abkhaz voters the idea of Gunba’s indispensability and help him secure more votes in the second round of the presidential election on March 1.

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On Friday, February 21, Badra Gunba and his opponent, opposition candidate Adgur Ardzinba, signed an agreement committing to a fair electoral contest.

However, just two days later, on Sunday, February 23, Gunba violated the agreement by meeting with Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko in Sukhumi. Together, they inspected the construction of a children’s hospital—despite Gunba having no official authority to do so.

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The agreement was reached after five hours of one-on-one talks. The candidates pledged to compete fairly

In its statement, Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) mentioned the incident but framed it cautiously, placing primary blame on Acting Health Minister Eduard Butba, who was also present at the meeting.

“We consider Eduard Butba’s participation in such a meeting as involvement in campaign activities in support of a candidate, which violates electoral law,” the CEC statement read.

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