Abkhazian parliamentary election, 2002

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Parliamentary elections were held in Abkhazia on 2 March 2002 to elect the third People's Assembly. The elections had originally been scheduled for 24 November 2001, but had to be postponed due to the October 2001 Chechen incursion into the lower Kodori Valley.[1] Candidates supporting President Vladislav Ardzinba won all 35 seats.[2]

Campaign

In the run-up to the elections the Central Election Commission refused to register four candidates, including the outgoing Vice-Speaker Ruslan Kharabua. As a result, sixteen other candidates withdrew in protest, including 14 candidates from Aitaira.[3]

Following the withdrawal of the Aitaira and People's Party candidates, 63 candidates contested the 35 constituencies, with twelve constituencies only having a single candidate; eighteen constituencies had two candidates and five constituencies had three. The candidates included 45 Abkhazians, seven Russians, five Armenians, three Georgians, one Greek, one Kabarday and one Cherkess. Four were women.[3][4]

Conduct

Ethnic Georgians displaced during the conflict were prevented from voting, whilst state radio and television supported pro-government candidates.[2]

Results

In five districts, no candidate achieved a first round majority and a second round was held.[5]

Aftermath

The election in District 2 in Sukhumi was judged invalid by the local election commission, and a by-election was held on 23 June. In the original election, there had been two candidates, Leonid Osia and Garik Samanba, but only Samanba participated in the rerun.[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ "Abkhaz parliamentary elections postponed". UNPO. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  2. 1 2 Abkhazia Freedom House
  3. 1 2 "Новости из Абхазии". Apsnypress. February 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Abkhazia [Georgia] (2003)". Freedom House. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
  5. ↑ "В Абхазии прошли парламентские выборы". Caucasian Knot. 4 March 2002. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Повторные выборы в Парламент в Сухумском городском избирательном округе ?2". Apsnypress / Caucasian Knot. 23 April 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Повторные выборы в Абхазии признаны состоявшимися". Apsnypress / Caucasian Knot. 25 June 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2012.


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