Abkhazia’s presidential election heads to a second round

No candidate received an unconditional majority in Saturday’s snap presidential elections in Abkhazia. Voters will participate in a second round of elections between the two top candidates — former Vice-President Badra Gunba and opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba — within the next two weeks.

According to the official election results, 46.38% of the vote was received by Gunba, a representative of the former government, and 36.92% by Ardzinba. The remaining candidates did not gather enough votes to make it to the second round — former chairman of the control chamber Robert Arshba received 7.53%, Oleg Bartsits, former trade representative of Abkhazia in Russia, received 4.4%, and Adgur Khurkhumal, the chair of the board of the Black Sea Development Bank received around 1%.

Voting took place across Abkhazia as well as at two polling stations in Russia, Moscow and Cherkessk.

According to Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), voter turnout was around 65%, which matched the average voter turnout.

However, a record number of voters — almost 2,700 — came to the polls in Moscow.

‘This is an absolute record in the entire history of our elections in Moscow, we have never had such a number’, Beslan Kobakhiya, the head of the Moscow precinct commission, told journalists.

At the same time, opposition representatives of the Abkhazian diaspora claimed in private chatrooms that ethnic Russians with Abkhazian passports issued in 2025 came to the polling station in Moscow.

Observers from the candidates’ headquarters as well as international observers noted that the elections were held without serious violations.

Russia did not send any observers. According to Dmitry Marshan, head of Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission, the Russian Central Election Commission requested places for 200 observers. When Abkhazia asked to reduce the number to 35, corresponding to the number of electoral districts, Russia decided not to send its observers at all.

Even so, a delegation of international observers arrived in Abkhazia from 25 countries, including Italy, France, and South Korea, as well as several Latin American and African states.

The second round of elections in Abkhazia will be held no later than two weeks after the vote in accordance with the election law. Most likely, the date will be set for 1 March. Holders of Abkhazian passports will be able to vote for Gunba, Ardzinba, or state that they are against all candidates.

Explainer | Who’s who in Abkhazia’s 2025 presidential elections

While the five candidates differ on domestic politics, they all broadly remain in favour of continuing Abkhazia’s pro-Russian orientation.

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