Breakaway Abkhazia’s acting leader wins presidential election, state media says

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Breakaway Abkhazia’s acting leader wins presidential election, state media says

By Felix Light

TBILISI (Reuters) – The acting leader of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia won a presidential election in the territory, months after his predecessor was driven from office, state media said on Sunday, citing preliminary results.

Acting President Badra Gunba took almost 55% of the vote in the Saturday election, ahead of opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba on just under 42%, Abkhazian state news agency Apsnypress reported, citing the electoral commission.

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Georgia, of which Abkhazia is recognised as a part by all but a handful of countries, called the election “another flagrant violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Gunba, Abkhazia’s vice president since 2020, took over as acting leader in November after his ally Aslan Bzhania resigned after mass protests against an investment agreement with Russia.

It was the third time since 2014 that an Abkhazian leader had been driven from office by mass protests.

A lush, ****** Sea coastal territory of around 240,000 people, Abkhazia broke away from Georgia after a war in the early 1990s, with the support of Russia. Moscow recognised it as independent after another war in 2008.

Tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians were expelled from the region in successive conflicts.

Though the territory is politically and economically dependent on Russia, some Abkhazians have been critical of what they see as Moscow’s growing influence in the breakaway state.

(Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by WIlliam Mallard)

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