Repeat presidential elections to be held in Abkhazia on March 22

Repeat presidential elections in Abkhazia will be held on March 22, the Central Election Commission announce don January 12.

The body was convened after the Supreme Court decided to annul the results of the former elections and to dismiss incumbent President Raul Khadjimba against the backdrop of mass protests on January 10.

Prior to this, local media wrote that the election date would be March 21 citing leader of the united opposition Aslan Bzhania.

Raul Khajimba’s presidential press service said he intends to appeal the decision of the Supreme Court.

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What’s happening in Abkhazia?

The united opposition demanded the annulment of the results of the last presidential election since it took place on September 8, 2019.

At the time, Khajimba won in the second round of elections, with just a small majority: Khadjimba won only 47 percent of the vote, while the law requires 50 percent +1 of all voters.

On this basis, the opposition claimed the results were illegitimate.

The disagreement came to a head on January 9, when about a thousand opposition supporters first besieged the presidential palace, and then burst into it.

On January 10, protesters were supported by the parliament, which adopted a resolution proposing the incumbent president resign.

The president, who had been in an alternative residence at the “state dacha” all this time, refused to accept this recommendation and stated that he was ready for a dialogue with the opposition.

However, the opposition refused a dialogue; protesters said they would not leave the presidential administration building until Khajimba resigned.

As a result, on January 10, the Supreme Court took the side of the opposition and approved the decision to remove the president from office and mandated new elections be held.

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