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On 12 February 2011,
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
held local elections for the 5th convocations of its local assemblies.


Background and Abkhazia-wide figures

Candidates could be nominated between 23 January and 2 February by interest groups or by officially registered political parties. However, the governing
United Abkhazia United Abkhazia (, ) is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004, as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections.
was the only party to make use this possibility on a large scale, and none of the opposition parties did so. In total, a number of 353 candidates competed in 186 single-seat constituencies. All heads of administration except for Gudauta District Head Daur Vozba were re-elected to their assembly, and re-appointed by President
Sergei Bagapsh Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as the second President of Abkhazia from 12 February 2005 until his death on 29 May 2011. He previously served as Prime Minister of Abkhazia f ...
on 23 February.


City of Sukhumi


Turn-out

The voter lists numbered a total of 30,712 people, of which 26,957 were on the principal voter list and 3755 on additional lists. Of these latter ones, 452 belonged to military units and 73 to hospital units. In total, 11,775 people voted, i.e. 38.3%.


Candidates

In Sukhumi, the election was contested by 85 candidates in 26 single-seat constituencies. Shortly before election day, 3 people had withdrawn their candidacy. Among the candidates were the incumbent Mayor of Sukhumi
Alias Labakhua Alias Mikhailovich Labakhua (, ka, ალიას ლაბახუა; born 2 August 1963) was Mayor of Sukhumi from 15 May 2007 until 22 October 2014 Early life and career Alias Labakhua was born in 1963 in Sukhumi. In 1980 he graduated fr ...
, as well as 14 sitting members of the city council. Of these, 5 were re-elected (including Labakhua). None of the 12 female candidates was elected.
United Abkhazia United Abkhazia (, ) is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004, as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections.
had nominated candidates in all 26 constituencies, 16 of which won. The Communist Party and the Sukhumi Military School had nominated 2 and 1 candidates, respectively, all of which lost. The remaining candidates had been nominated by 64 initiative groups, 10 of these independent candidates won a seat (including Daut Nanba after the re-run in constituency #1).


Rerun in constituency #1

On 16 February, the Sukhumi election commission ordered a rerun in constituency #1, because there had been a soldier who had voted at 2 constituencies, and another voter from another constituency. Preliminary results had indicated a victory for independent candidate Daut Nanba. Repeated elections were scheduled for 16 April. Candidates had to be nominated between 7 and 27 March and registered between 28 March and 7 April. Only Daut Nanba, Guram Berulava and Aslan Sangulia participated the second time around, Nanba again won.


Overview of the candidates and elected deputies

The following table presents an overview of all the candidates in the 26 constituencies: On 21 February, the new city assembly held its first session, in which it had to elect a successor for its outgoing Chairman Adgur Amichba, who had not run again in the assembly election. However, the two candidates Amiran Kakalia and Konstantin Pilia tied with 12 votes, with 1 invalid vote. The session was then adjourned until 23 February. In the second vote Amiran Kakalia beat Konstantin Pilia by 15-to-9 (with 1 invalid vote). Beslan Shinkuba was subsequently elected Deputy Chairman and former Mayor Astamur Adleiba Secretary.


Gali District

In the Gali District, 26 candidates competed in 26 constituencies, all of whom were nominated by
United Abkhazia United Abkhazia (, ) is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004, as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections.
. Only Abkhazian citizens --- a minority in the Gali District --- were allowed to vote. According to District Head Beslan Arshba, turn-out was around 80% in the villages, and up to 70% in Gali town.


Gulripshi District

In the
Gulripshi District Gulripshi District ( ka, გულრიფშის რაიონი, ) is a district of Abkhazia, one of Georgia’s breakaway republics. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gulripshi, the town by the same name. ...
, 22 candidates competed in 16 constituencies. The Upper Kodori Valley participated for the first time in local Abkhazian elections --- the area had been under Georgian control until it was conquered during the August 2008 War. Since most of the remaining Svan population does not possess Abkhazian citizenship, there were only 51 eligible voters, 39 of whom actually voted at the polling station in the secondary school of Azhara. The new Assembly met for the first time on 15 February, when it elected Aslan Baratelia its chairman, Andronik Kondakchyan its deputy chairman and David Gabnya its secretary.


Gagra District

In the
Gagra District Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Administrative divisions of Georgia (country), Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of ...
, 61 candidates competed for 25 single-seat constituencies. 22 of the candidates were nominated by
United Abkhazia United Abkhazia (, ) is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004, as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections.
.


Pitsunda

In Pitsunda, Mayor
Beslan Ardzinba Beslan Ardzinba is a former Mayor of Pitsunda, Abkhazia. Early life Beslan Ardzinba was born on 13 March 1954. In 1961, he entered high school in the village of Duripsh in the Gudauta District. From 1972 until 1974, Ardzinba served in the Soviet ...
and six other incumbent deputies of the Assembly stood for re-election. The winning candidates were Beslan Ardzinba, Badra Avidzba, Olga Grigorenko, Chengiz Bigvava, Georgi Zardania, Gennadi Cherkezia, Gennadi Mikanba, Damia Kokoskeria and Inessa Dzkuia. On 14 February, during the first session of the new convocation, Damir Kokoskeria was elected Chairman of the Assembly over Gennadi Cherkezia, by a one-vote difference.


Gudauta District

In the
Gudauta District Gudauta District is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia (country), Georgia's breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Administrative divisions of Georgia (country), Georgian district. Its capital is Gudauta, the town by the same name. The po ...
59 candidates competed in 29 constituencies. Out of 20760 eligible voters, 9542 turned out to vote (45.96%). 17 incumbent deputies were re-elected. Of these, 13 were elected for the second time, 2 for the third time and 2 for the fourth time. District Head Daur Vozba failed to be re-elected by 92 votes. President
Sergei Bagapsh Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh, (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as the second President of Abkhazia from 12 February 2005 until his death on 29 May 2011. He previously served as Prime Minister of Abkhazia f ...
appointed Valerii Malia as his successor on 23 February. On 17 February, during its first session, the Gudauta District assembly elected Roman Bazba its chairman, with 22 out of 29 votes, and Fyodor Sakania its Deputy Chairman.


Sukhumi, Ochamchira and Tkvarcheli Districts

In the
Sukhumi District Sukhumi District is one of the districts of Abkhazia, one of Georgia’s two breakaway republics. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian municipality. Its capital is Sukhumi, the town by the same name, which is also the capital of entire Abkhazi ...
18 in 15 constituencies, in the
Ochamchira District Ochamchira District is a district of the partially recognized Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchire, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire Municipality, Ochamchire district in the de jure Administrative divisions of ...
55 in 32 constituencies and in the
Tkvarcheli District Tkvarcheli District ( ka, ტყვარჩელის რაიონი, , ) is one of the districts of Abkhazia. It has no equivalent Georgian district, as it was newly formed in 1995 from parts of Ochamchira District and Gali District, ce ...
27 in 17 constituencies.


Criticism

The Abkhazian opposition claimed that a number of violations had taken place during the election. According to
Raul Khajimba Raul Jumkovich Khajimba (, ka, რაულ ჯუმკას-ძე ჰაჯიმბა; born 21 March 1959) is an Abkhazians, Abkhazian politician who served as President of Abkhazia from 25 September 2014 until 12 January 2020. He was also ...
, a number of people had voted multiple times at different polling stations. The elections were also criticised by representatives of several NGOs. Some of the issues singled out included the low turn-out, the lack of a contest in the Gali district and the fact that in one of the polling stations in Sukhumi, a group of soldiers had come in and closed the election. They also expressed the fear that the new councils would not reflect a great diversity of opinions, a situation not conducive to genuine political debate. The Georgian government condemned the elections on 14 February 2011.


References


Apsnypress


Caucasian Knot


City Administration of Pitsunda


Civil Georgia


Respublika Abxaziya

{{Abkhazian elections
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