Abkhaz Court Revises Earlier Decision, Orders Repeat Elections

Judge Giorgi Akaba (in the middle) said he was “forced” by Khajimba’s supporters to revise his earlier decision. Russian 1 TV Channel footage.

In the early hours of October 29 the Abkhaz Supreme Court reversed its earlier decision and canceled the disputed October 3 presidential election results, which declared opposition candidate Sergey Bagapsh president-elect, Itar-Tass news agency and Russian NTV television reported.

The Supreme Court has also ordered the Central Election Commission of the unrecognized republic to hold repeat presidential polls on the entire territory of Abkhazia within two months, as was demanded by the pro-governmental presidential candidate Raul Khajimba. Judge Giorgi Akaba of the Supreme Court cited “numerous violations” during the October 3 elections.

Several hours before this ruling, late on October 28, the Supreme Court confirmed the results of the elections, which gave Sergey Bagapsh a chance to take over the breakaway region’s presidency.

However, the decision was followed by protest by Raul Khajimba’s supporters, which stormed the court’s building. Itar-Tass reported that Raul Khajimba defused tensions by calling on his supporters to remain calm, but the crowed kept vigil outside the court.

But later on October 29 judge of the Supreme Court Giorgi Akaba convened a press conference in Sokhumi and said that he was forced to revise his decision; hence the court’s final ruling has “nothing common with legality.”

“A crowed broke into the [court] building. It was absolutely impossible to work and I had to revise my decision in order to save the lives of those [people] who were in the building by that time,” Giorgi Akaba said at a specially convened news conference.

Presidential candidate Raul Khajimba, who along with the outgoing president Vladislav Ardzinba’s support also enjoys backing from Moscow, appealed the Supreme Court, demanding the cancellation of the Abkhaz Central Election Commission’s October 11 protocol, which declared Sergey Bagapsh president-elect, with 50.08% of the vote.

On October 27, a special commission set up under the order of the Supreme Court recounted votes cast on October 3 presidential elections. Following this procedure the court confirmed Bagapsh as president-elect, however revised this ruling after several hours.

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