Politics of Abkhazia
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (August 2010) |
Constitution |
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Abkhazia portal |
Politics in Abkhazia is dominated by
Georgia maintains an Abkhazian government in exile in Tbilisi.
Institutions of the Republic of Abkhazia
Executive branch of the partially recognised Republic of Abkhazia
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President | Aslan Bzhania | Independent | 23 April 2020 |
Prime Minister | Alexander Ankvab | Aitaira | 23 April 2020 |
Legislative branch
The
Political parties
Latest elections
Presidential elections
Candidate | Running mate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Aslan Bzhania | Badr Gunba | 53,741 | 58.92 |
Adgur Ardzinba | Arda Enverovich Ashub | 33,686 | 36.93 |
Leonid Dzapshba | Viktor Shamilovich Khashba | 2,114 | 2.32 |
None of the above | 1,666 | 1.83 | |
Total | 91,207 | 100.00 | |
Valid votes | 91,207 | 95.90 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 3,902 | 4.10 | |
Total votes | 95,109 | 100.00 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 132,916 | 71.56 | |
Source: Abkhaz World |
Parliamentary elections
Politics Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
The de jure Government of Abkhazia in exile, then the Council of Ministers of Abkhazia, left Abkhazia after the Russian-backed
On 27 July 2006, the Georgian authorities relocated the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia to Upper Abkhazia. "This decision means that for the first time since 1993 the government enters into the middle of Abkhazia, of our Abkhazia, to exercise Georgian jurisdiction and the Georgian constitutional order. This is very important fact and very fundamental political event," Saakashvili said in his televised address to the nation.[1]
Malkhaz Akishbaia, a western-educated Abkhaz politician was Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia from April 2006 to June 2009, when he was succeeded by Giorgi Baramia.
This Government was forced out of Upper Abkhazia during the
Executive branch of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
Chairman of the Supreme Council | Gia Gvazava
|
Abkhazeti
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June 2009 |
Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers | Giorgi Baramia | Abkhazeti
|
June 2009 |
Deputy of Supreme Council | Tamaz Khubua | Abkhazeti
|
June 2009 |
Council of Ministers of Abkhazia in exile
Ethnic Abkhaz and Georgian deputies elected to the Abkhaz Supreme Soviet under the unsuccessful 1991 power-sharing arrangement continue to operate from Tbilisi as the de jure government and parliament-in-exile. They began boycotting the Abkhaz parliament in May 1992, complaining of Abkhaz discrimination, and in June commenced a campaign of civil disobedience while attempting to set up parallel power structures in Sukhumi. In October 1992 elections to the Georgian parliament were conducted in those parts of Abkhazia controlled by the central Government. However, with Abkhazia outside Tbilisi's jurisdiction by the time of the 1995 Georgian parliamentary election, the MPs elected from Abkhazia in 1992 automatically retained their seats in the Georgian parliament. After the separatist victory, the de jure Government represented 300,000 IDPs in Tbilisi. There were two significant political groups of Abkhaz IDPs. In April 1999 Tamaz Nadareishvili, chairman of the government-in-exile and at the outbreak of the war Deputy Chairman of the parliament of the Abkhaz Autonomous Republic, founded the Abkhazia Liberation Party (ALP) to contest the October 1999 Georgian parliamentary elections. Formerly a Communist Party functionary in Abkhazia, he was Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia 1993–95. The ALP was the successor to My Home Abkhazia, a party he founded to contest the 1995 parliamentary election but which failed to gain parliamentary representation. However, the ALP is opposed by the Co-ordinating Council of Refugees from Abkhazia founded in 1996 by Boris Kakubava, an MP in the Abkhazeti faction. The Council was represented by the League of Popular Representatives of Georgia political party. Kakubava strongly opposed Shevardnadze whom he blamed for the loss of Abkhazia.
Abkhazia today
The Abkhaz conflict has not been resolved; a ceasefire agreement was signed on 15 May 1994 and a United Nations peacekeeping force (
Peace talks have taken place on and off over the last ten years, but have achieved little of significance. Although there have been no major outbreaks of fighting in the meantime, border clashes and armed raids by both sides continue to inflict casualties.
A new constitution was adopted, on 4 November 1994, which declared Abkhaz sovereignty.
The de facto authorities organised a referendum on 3 October 1999 which approved the current constitution though more than half of the pre-war population expelled from Abkhazia did not take part in voting.
2004 elections
On 3 October 2004 presidential elections were held in Abkhazia. In the elections, Russia supported Raul Khajimba, the prime-minister backed by seriously ailing outgoing separatist President Vladislav Ardzinba. Posters of Russia's President Vladimir Putin together with Khajimba, who like Putin had worked as a KGB official, were everywhere in Sukhumi. Deputies of Russia's parliament and Russian singers, led by Joseph Kobzon, both a deputy and a popular songster, came to Abkhazia campaigning for Khajimba.
Still, on 12 October Abkhazia's Supreme Court, after a series of contradictory decisions by the Electoral Committee, recognised that the new president would be a businessman Sergei Bagapsh, accused by his rival's supporters of being pro-Georgian, although Georgia does not recognise any separatist candidates or even the elections. Abkhazia's outgoing President Ardzinba claimed the decision was illegal and made under pressure from supporters of Bagapsh. The decision was cancelled by the Supreme Court the night of the same day. When supporters of Raul Khajimba seized the building of the Supreme Court and destroyed the protocols from local electoral constituencies new elections were prescribed.
Soon the Supreme Court cancelled the later decision, and again named Bagapsh the new president. His supporters captured a local TV station, while
On 5 December the presidential candidates
Politics after the recognition
After Russia recognised Abkhazian independence the Abkhazian president Sergei Bagapsh signed a series of controversial deals giving Russia control over the border with Georgia proper, the Abkhazian railway network and airport, the right to build long term military bases as well as rights to search for oil off its coast.[2] He also called for the legalisation of the sale of real estate to non-citizens.[3]
These policies were met with growing alarm by opposition parties and
The Vice President
Abkhazia's future
Abkhazian leaders have made alternating demands in recent years. At times, they have insisted on full independence, and at other times, they have requested associate membership in the Russian Federation. However, the Russian government has inconsistently responded to the latter proposal, fearing the negative effect of such an action on its relations with Georgia. On 28 November 2003, Russian MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky brought forth such a resolution in the State Duma, but saw it rejected. Nonetheless, most citizens of Abkhazia now possess Russian citizenship, and Abkhazians do not require a visa. In April 2023, Russia threatened to annex Abkhazia, a move which was resolutely opposed by de facto Abkhazian authorities.[5]
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, European Union and United Nations have continued to insist that Abkhazia must remain part of Georgia, and that at the very least, the many Georgian refugees who fled after the 1992–1993 war must be allowed to return, before any acceptable vote on independence can be held.
The Georgian government has continued to insist on Abkhazia's reunification with Georgia, but has differed in its suggestions of means to achieve this, particularly under the government of former President
They have, at times, proposed two main peace deals. The first one would divide Georgia into seven
The Georgian government has, at times, suggested that they may attempt to resolve the conflict by military means. After the 2004 removal of
Saakashvili has also attempted to portray the Abkhaz dispute as being between Georgia and Russia, owing to the latter's support of the separatists, with the separatist government being portrayed as little more than a Russian puppet. To this end, they have pushed for either the complete removal of, or major changes to the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers, and the removal of Russian military bases from Abkhaz territory. During 2003, they succeeded in achieving the latter demand, with Russia removing its bases, leaving only its peacekeeping force.
Both the Abkhaz de facto separatist government and separatist opposition parties (Amtsakhara) resolutely oppose reunification with Georgia under any circumstances.
See also
References
- ^ Tbilisi-Based Abkhaz Government Moves to Kodori, Civil Georgia, 27 July 2006. URL accessed on 28 July 2007.
- ^ [1] Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Abkhaz Opposition Fear Growing Russian Influence, 7 August 2009, CRS No. 505
- ^ Radio Free EuropeCaucasus Report, 24 May 2009, Abkhaz Leadership, Opposition Exchange Accusations
- ^ ВИЦЕ-ПРЕЗИДЕНТ РАУЛЬ ХАДЖИМБА УШЕЛ В ОТСТАВКУ (in Russian). Apsnypress. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
- ^ "We don't want to join Russia, breakaway Georgian region warns". POLITICO. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.