2011 Abkhazian presidential election
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Candidate Alexander Ankvab Sergei Shamba Raul Khajimba
Party Aitaira PEDA FNUA
Running mate Mikhail Logua Shamil Adzynba Svetlana Jergenia
Popular vote 58,657 22,456 21,177
Percentage 56.23% 21.53% 20.30%
President before election

Alexander Ankvab (acting)
Aitaira

Elected President

Alexander Ankvab
Aitaira

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Presidential elections were held in Abkhazia on 26 August 2011. This was the fifth such election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was held to elect the successor of president Sergei Bagapsh who died in office on 29 May 2011.

Background

The election was originally scheduled to take place in 2014, five years after the previous election; however, the Constitution of Abkhazia required an election to be held within three months after the unexpected death of incumbent president Sergei Bagapsh on 29 May. On 8 June the People's Assembly set the election date for 26 August.[1] The MPs decided against earlier dates such as 20 August, which is immediately after the summer holidays, as the election is largely organised by teachers and to allow for repairs to school buildings to be completed, where many polling stations are located.[2]

Requirements and registration procedure

According to the Law on the Election of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia, candidates for the Presidency have to:

Prospective candidates have to be nominated between 27 June and 17 July.[4] This can be done either by an initiative group of at least 10 people with a list of between 2000 and 2500 signatures, or by a political party registered with the Central Election Commission.[5] The only parties registered in this way are United Abkhazia, the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia, the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia, the People's Party and the Communist Party. After the nomination period ends, the Central Election Commission will verify the signature lists and whether candidates satisfy the set requirements. To test the nominees' proficiency in Abkhaz, it has established a language commission.[6] Registration of the candidates has to be completed before 27 July and two days after their registration the Central Election Commission has to make public the list of nominees whose candidacy had been approved.[4]

Candidates

All three candidates who were nominated for the election successfully completed their registration: Acting President Alexander Ankvab, Prime Minister Sergei Shamba and opposition leader Raul Khajimba. Following their nomination, Shamba and his vice presidential candidate, Shamil Adzynba, as well as Khajimba and his running mate Svetlana Jergenia applied for registration on 16 July.[7][8] Ankvab and his vice presidential candidate Mikhail Logua filed their application on 17 July.[9] The three presidential candidates passed their Abkhaz language test on 20 July 2011.[10] All candidates were registered by the CEC on 25 July[11] and received their certificates on 26 July.

Presidential candidate Career Vice presidential candidate Career Political support
  • Vice President (2005–2009)
  • Prime Minister (2003–2004)
  • Minister of Defence (2002–2003)
Raul Khajimba Svetlana Jergenia
  • Acting President (since 29 May 2011)
  • Vice President (2010–2011)
  • Prime Minister (2005–2010)
  • Businessman
Alexander Ankvab Mikhail Logua
  • Prime Minister (since 13 February 2010)
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs (1997–2004 and 2004–2010)
  • Deputy Chairman of the committee for Youth Affairs and Sport
Sergei Shamba Shamil Adzynba

Campaign

The election campaign official began when the candidates received their registration certificates on 26 July. According to election law, Alexander Ankvab and Sergei Shamba had to take leave from their offices.[24] Correspondingly, Parliament Speaker Nugzar Ashuba temporarily took over as Acting President and Vice-Premier Beslan Kubrava as Prime Minister.

On 19 July, the League of Voters "For Fair Elections" held its first press conference to announce that it would monitor the upcoming election as in previous years.[25]

Shamba's campaign was led by Beslan Eshba.[26]

Media use

TV broadcasts

Each presidential candidate received three hours of free air time on national state television in the four weeks running up to election day, and each Vice Presential candidate one hour. During the first week, candidates had the choice between an hour of live interaction with voters and sending in a pre-recorded DVD. In the second week, the candidates, alone or assisted by no more than four associates, received one hour of live interaction with voters. In the third and fourth weeks, first the vice-presidential candidate and then the presidential candidates had the opportunity to answer alternatingly questions from voters and from officially registered media.

Apart from these broadcasts, each candidate could send in commercials up to five minutes, which were broadcast on weekdays between 1 and 25 August, three times daily (8:00, 18:00 and 20:00).

The order in which the broadcasts of candidates appeared was determined by draw, and was as follows:[27]

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Order of commercials
Week 1 (1–5 August) Khajimba Shamba Ankvab Khajimba – Ankvab – Shamba
Week 2 (8–12 August) Khajimba Shamba Ankvab Khajimba – Shamba – Ankvab
Week 3 (15–19 August) Logua Jergenia Adzynba Ankvab – Khajimba – Shamba
Week 4 (22–26 August) Shamba Khajimba Ankvab Ankvab – Shamba – Khajimba

Opinion polls

Date Source Sergei Shamba Alexander Ankvab Raul Khajimba
5–12 July 2011 Dobrososedstvo 30.1% 26.1% 8.0%

Results

The CEC decided that in order to reduce costs and simplify the organisation of the election, there would be no separate polling stations and precinct election commissions for military units. Instead, it sent a letter to the Ministry of Defence requesting that soldiers should receive leave ten days before the election, allowing them to collect absentee ballots and thus vote in a polling station of their choosing.[28]

According to the Abkhazian electoral commission, preliminary results showed a first round victory for Ankvab over Shamba and Khajimba.[29]

The official results, released on 27 August, showed only small differences, and Alexander Ankvab was elected in the first round.[30] He is to be sworn in on 26 September.[31]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Alexander AnkvabAitaira58,65756.23
Sergei ShambaParty for the Economic Development of Abkhazia22,45621.53
Raul KhajimbaForum for the National Unity of Abkhazia21,17720.30
Against all2,0231.94
Total104,313100.00
Valid votes104,31397.63
Invalid/blank votes2,5322.37
Total votes106,845100.00
Registered voters/turnout148,55671.92
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

References

  1. ^ "Abkhaz Early Elections Set for August 26". Civil Georgia. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  2. ^ Galustyan, Levon (8 June 2011). "Выборы состоятся 26 августа". Echo of the Caucasus. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  3. ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (29 June 2011). "Кандидаты на пост главы Абхазии будут сдавать экзамен по абхазскому языку". Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Центризбирком утвердил календарный план мероприятий по подготовке к досрочным выборам президента". Apsnypress. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  5. ^ "С 27 июня начинается выдвижение кандидатов в президенты Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 27 June 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Батал Табагуа проинформировал депутатов о подготовке Центризбиркома к президентским выборам". Apsnypress. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Сергей Шамба и Шамиль Адзынба подали заявление в Центральную избирательную комиссию о согласии баллотироваться на пост президента и вице-президента Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 16 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Рауль Хаджимба и Светлана Джергения дали согласие баллотироваться на пост президента и вице-президента Абхазии". Apsnypress. 16 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Александр Анкваб и Михаил Логуа дали согласие баллотироваться на пост президента и вице-президента Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Александр Анкваб, Рауль Хаджимба и Сергей Шамба сдали экзамен на знание Государственного абхазского языка". Apsnypress. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Центральная избирательная комиссия зарегистрировала кандидатами в президенты Александра Анкваба, Рауля Хаджимба и Сергея Шамба". Apsnypress. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  12. ^ "ЦИК Абхазии зарегистрировал инициативную группу по выдвижению кандидатом в президенты Рауля Хаджимба". Apsnypress. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  13. ^ ""Ахьаца" поддерживает тандем Рауля Хаджимба и Светланы Джергения". Aiaaira. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Заявление Высшего Совета "АРУАА"". Aiaaira. 7 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Анри Джергения о выборах, санаторном вопросе и о прочем..." Nuzhnaya/Aiaaira. 27–30 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  16. ^ "Союз Казаков Абхазии поддерживает кандидатуру Рауля Хаджимба". Apsnypress. 5 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  17. ^ "Инициативная группа из 19 человек выдвинула кандидатом в президенты Александра Анкваб". Apsnypress. 29 June 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  18. ^ "Политсовет "Единой Абхазии" поддержал выдвижение кандидатами в президенты и вице-президенты Александра Анкваба и Михаила Логуа". Apsnypress. 22 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  19. ^ "Союз ветеранов отечественной войны народа Абхазии "Амцахара" поддерживает Александра Анкваба". Apsnypress. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  20. ^ "ЦИК зарегистрировал инициативную группу по выдвижению Сергея Шамба кандидатом в президенты Абхазии". Apsnypress. 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  21. ^ "Партия Экономического развития Абхазии поддержала кандидатуру Сергея Шамба на пост президента республики". Apsnypress. 21 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  22. ^ "10 из 12 организаций, входящих в Ассоциацию молодежных организаций Абхазии, заявили о поддержке кандидата в президенты Сергея Шамба". Apsnypress. 28 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
  23. ^ "Политсовет компартии Абхазии поддержал кандидатуру Сергея Шамба". Apsnypress. 9 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  24. ^ "Кандидаты в президенты Республики Абхазия должны уйти в отпуск". Apsnypress. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  25. ^ "Лига избирателей "За честные выборы" будет наблюдать за ходом голосования на выборах президента Абхазии 26 августа". Apsnypress. 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  26. ^ Sharia, Vitali (18 August 2015). ""Родина" и "Народный фронт" по-абхазски". Echo of the Caucasus. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  27. ^ "Центризбирком жеребьевкой определил очередность выступления кандидатов в президенты и вице-президенты в эфире Абхазской Гостелерадиокомпании". Apsnypress. 26 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  28. ^ "В войсковых частях министерства обороны РА не будет участковых избирательных комиссий". Apsnypress. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  29. ^ "Александр Анкваб набрал 54,86% голосов избирателей". Apsnypress. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  30. ^ "Final results of the presidential elections in Abkhazia". Abkhazian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  31. ^ "26 сентября состоится инаугурация вновь избранного президента Республики Абхазия" (in Russian). Apsnypress. 2 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
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