Khajimba Wants to Annul Election Results

Raul Khajimba, one of the leading presidential candidates during the Abkhaz elections, demanded to annul presidential election results on October 5, citing widespread procedural violations during the Sunday polls, Russian news agencies reported.

?We have submitted enough cases of violations reported by the observers to the prosecutor?s office and court,? Itar-Tass news agency quoted Khajimba as saying. He emphasized that most of the violations were reported in the predominantly Georgian populated Gali District.

?We have enough facts confirming that the elections were unfair. On the basis of these documents we will seek for the annulment of the election results, at least in the Gali District,? RIA Novosti news agency quoted Khajimba as saying at the news briefing in Sokhumi on October 5.

?Armed groups were at the polling stations [in the Gali District]. The electricity went off after the polling stations were closed. Many voters who cast ballots in Gali had Georgian passports,? he added.

Raul Khajimba also expressed his hope that the Abkhazian people will be ?conscious enough? and the current situation will not trigger an armed confrontation.

Earlier, Russian news agencies reported the chief of the Abkhaz Central Election Commission Sergey Smir saying that the commission has so far counted votes cast only in the Sokhumi and Gagra election districts. According to this data, Raul Khajimba slightly leads in the elections. His main contender from the opposition coalition Sergey Bagapsh comes in second, with only 200 less votes than Khajimba.