Georgia New president elected in conflict region of Abkhazia
In the South Caucasus region of Abkhazia on the Black Sea, 47-year-old Badra Gunba has been elected as the new president in a run-off election. Neither Georgia, to which Abkhazia belongs under international law, nor the EU recognize the election in the region recognized by Russia as a state.
02.03.2025, 13:53
SDA
Gunba, who served as vice president for many years and most recently as acting president, received 54.73 percent of the vote, according to election director Dmitry Marshan in the capital Sukhumi. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin congratulated Gunba on his victory. His opponent, former economy minister Adgur Ardsinba, received 41.54 percent of the vote.
New election necessary due to protests
The presidential election was brought forward after massive protests against the incumbent Aslan Bschania in November. The background to this was the planned signing of an investment agreement with Russia. Although Abkhazia is heavily dependent on Moscow politically, militarily and economically, many people in Sukhumi demonstrated against the agreement. They fear a sell-out of national interests.
The former economy minister Ardsinba is regarded as the mouthpiece of this movement. On the other hand, the Kremlin campaigned in Abkhazia for the opposing candidate Gunba, who took over as acting president after Bshania's resignation.
Abkhazia declared itself independent in 1992 after a bloody civil war. In 2008, after a war between Georgia and Russia over the region of South Ossetia, which had also seceded from Tbilisi, Moscow recognized Abkhazia's sovereignty. However, the Black Sea region is internationally isolated.
