Abkhazia completes registration of presidential candidates
Abkhazia presidential candidates
The registration process for candidates in Abkhazia‘s early presidential election has concluded.
Five contenders will compete for the presidency on February 15.
The candidates are:
1.Badra Gunba – Former Vice President and the candidate backed by the current authorities, aligned with the team of ex-president Aslan Bzhania. Gunba is currently serving as acting president and is widely seen as the Kremlin’s favored choice.
2. Adgur Ardzinba – The sole opposition candidate and leader of the “Abkhaz People’s Movement.” Initially, it was expected that another opposition figure would join the race, but at the last moment, parliamentary deputy Kan Kvarchia withdrew his candidacy, citing health issues. This comes after Kvarchia was injured in a parliamentary conflict on December 20, 2024, when fellow deputy Adgur Kharaziya shot him with a pistol.
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3-4. Representing the so-called centrist camp in this election are Oleg Bartsits, former head of Abkhazia’s Trade Mission in Russia, and Robert Arshba, former head of the Audit Chamber. While neither is considered a frontrunner, their chances cannot be dismissed entirely. With a significant portion of voters distrustful of both the current authorities and the opposition, Bartsits and Arshba might have a shot at advancing to the second round, where the outcome would depend on how the “cards fall.”
5. Adgur Khurkhumal, head of a financially troubled bank, rounds out the list of candidates. With no experience in politics or public life, he is regarded as the definitive outsider with virtually no chance of success..
Within a week, the Central Election Commission is expected to verify the signatures (between 2,000 and 2,500) collected in support of these five candidates. If no issues arise, they will receive official candidate status.
The early presidential election in Abkhazia was scheduled following the resignation of Aslan Bzhania in November last year amid mass protests against the ratification of the Russian-Abkhaz investment agreement.
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