Major highlight of Abkhaz election – opposition leader Ankvab has made it into parliament

 Photo: Ibragim Chkadua

Only 12 candidates managed to clinch an individual seat in the Abkhaz parliament as a result of the election on March 12. 22 other single-member constituencies will hold a runoff in two weeks, as yet another constituency, the one former PM Leonid Lakerbaia vied for, is in for a redo of election, scheduled for two months from now, after the Sunday vote was found invalid there.

One of the highlights of the election is the victory of Abkhazia’s former president Alexander Ankvab who now gets to represent a Gudauta constituency in the parliament, after beating Ruslan Gagulia, a newbie in Abkhazia’s political life, by a razor-thin margin of only 11 votes.

In other noteworthy moments from the election, current speaker of the parliament Valery Bganba lost his candidacy bid, while former head of the central electoral election Batal Tapagua won a seat.

• Abkhazia relies on the majoritarian voting system to elect its parliament.
• 137 candidates competed for the assembly’s 35 seats on March 12.

JAMnews insights about the candidates, gender quotas, ethnic reservations, cost of elections and other stuff

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