Ardzinba Headquarters Calls for Transparent Second Round

SUKHUM / AQW’A —  The Central Headquarters of the Presidential Candidate of the Republic of Abkhazia, Adgur Ardzinba, has issued a statement raising serious concerns about the integrity of the first round of the presidential elections. Citing widespread violations, including administrative resource abuse, voter intimidation, and ballot discrepancies, the headquarters claims that the results fail to reflect the true will of the people. To ensure fairness in the upcoming second round, they have outlined a series of demands aimed at safeguarding the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process.

Below is the official statement from the Central Headquarters of Adgur Ardzinba, outlining their concerns and specific demands for ensuring the integrity of the second round of elections:

For Fair Elections!

An analysis of the first round of voting has revealed numerous violations, providing substantial grounds to consider the results as an inaccurate reflection of the will of the citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Throughout the election campaign, numerous violations have been observed that directly affect the voting outcomes, including:

1. Widespread misuse of administrative resources by the opposing candidate;
2. Intimidation of the Armenian population in favour of one candidate;
3. Electoral fraud at polling stations;
4. Incitement of interethnic discord;
5. Pressure on voters through law enforcement agencies;
6. Assaults on activists and threats against supporters of the presidential candidate;
7. Voter bribery.

In light of these violations, we demand the conduct of fair and competitive elections in the second round of the presidential election in the Republic of Abkhazia. These elections will only be deemed fair and accepted by the people of Abkhazia if the following conditions are met:

Demands to the Central Election Commission (CEC)

1. Complete replacement of members of precinct election commissions (154 commissions).
2. Complete replacement of members of district election commissions (35 commissions).
3. Installation of video surveillance in the CEC, district commissions (OIC), and precinct commissions (PEC).
4. Deployment of at least 10 observers from the candidate at each polling station.
5. Appointment of a CEC member with consultative voting rights from the candidate at each polling station.
6. Video recording of the vote-counting process at all polling stations.
7. Printing of ballots equal to 90% of the total number of registered voters.
8. Distribution of ballots to PECs amounting to 65% of the registered voters at each station, with the option to increase this number during voting upon additional requests to the CEC.
9. Live streaming from polling stations from 6:00 AM until the completion of the vote count.
10. Live streaming at the CEC and all 35 district commissions.

These conditions must be implemented on March 1, 2025, from 6:00 AM until the final count of all ballots, the submission of protocols, and the official certification of election results.

Violations Identified During the First Round of the Presidential Election

1. District 29, Precinct 6: 13 excess ballots recorded.
2. District 31, Precinct 3: 1 excess ballot recorded.
3. District 32, Precinct 1: Discrepancy in the precinct commission protocol.
4. District 23, Precinct 2: Protocol mismatch with the precinct commission.
5. District 31, Precinct 5 (Tamysh): Two citizens voted without passport stamps (voters’ surname: Zantaria).
6. District 5, Precinct 2: 11 discrepancies between voters and passport numbers (additional lists).
7. District 4, Precinct 1: Mismatched voter names and passport details (additional lists); one individual voted twice.
8. District 4, Precinct 2: Mismatched voter names and passport details (additional lists).
9. District 6, Precinct 1: Mismatched voter names and passport details (additional lists).
10. Moscow Polling Station: 9 ballots unaccounted for in the protocol.
11. District 7, Precinct 1: Mismatched voter names and passport details (additional lists).
12. District 7, Precinct 3: Mismatch between voter names and passport numbers.
13. District 3, Precinct 1: Commission member Asabua engaged in direct campaigning (video evidence available); voters from 2017, 2018, and 2019 birth years were recorded; mismatched names and passport numbers; deceased individuals listed as having voted.
14. District 8, Precinct 4: Protocol discrepancy with 141 excess ballots; different protocols were held by the CEC and the observer.
15. District 16, Precinct 1: Irregularities in additional lists; deceased individuals listed as voters; two voters with identical passport details; one missing ballot.
16. District 11, Precinct 2: Protocol figures did not match.
17. District 12, Precinct 2: Protocol figures did not match. At Precinct 3, one person voted twice.
18. District 13, Precinct 4: Different protocols held by the precinct commission and the observer.
19. District 14: Missing additional lists at Precincts 5 and 10; mismatched voter names and passport details; unauthorized individuals used others' passports to vote.
20. District 15, Precinct 6: According to the protocol, 11 ballots were missing from the ballot box; figures did not match. At Precinct 3, one person voted twice using the additional lists.
21. District 20, Precincts 3 and 6: Protocol discrepancies.
22. District 24, Precinct 3: Protocol mismatch; 26 ballots were missing.
23. District 26, Precincts 1 and 2: 100% voter turnout recorded.
24. District 26, Precinct 6: 1 missing ballot; protocol discrepancy.
25. District 27, Precinct 4: Protocol discrepancy between the observer's copy and the CEC’s record.
26. District 29, Precinct 4: Protocol discrepancy; 4 ballots were missing according to the protocol. At Precinct 6, there were 13 excess ballots in the box.
27. District 28, Precinct 5: Protocol discrepancy; one polling station was unaccounted for.
28. District 6, Cherkessk Precinct: Entire family of Commission Chair Etlukhova was employed at the PEC ("family contract"); instances of voting with other people's passports were identified.

Missing Additional Voter Lists in the CEC

1. District 17, Precinct 3
2. District 14, Precincts 5 and 10
3. District 16, Precincts 2 and 5
4. District 15, Precincts 1 and 7
5. District 22, Precinct 3
6. District 25, Precincts 3 and 5
7. District 28, Precincts 1 and 2
8. District 31, Precinct 2
9. District 32, Precinct 5
10. District 33, Precincts 1, 2, and 3
11. District 34, Precinct 2

***

On 21 February, the two candidates contesting the upcoming second round of Abkhazia’s presidential election, Badra Gunba and Adgur Ardzinba, signed a joint agreement aimed at ensuring a fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process. The agreement outlined mutual commitments to uphold democratic principles, refrain from negative campaigning, and respect the election outcome.

However, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the Republic of Abkhazia has since raised concerns regarding a potential violation of electoral legislation involving one of the candidates. The CEC highlighted that Badra Gunba, alongside the acting Minister of Health of Abkhazia, Eduard Butba, participated in an official meeting with the Russian Federation's Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko. During this meeting, public statements were made, which the CEC deemed inconsistent with the election code. The commission classified this as a form of campaigning and urged both state institutions and candidates to strictly adhere to electoral regulations.

The CEC’s official statement reads:

"On 23 February 2025, the acting Minister of Health of the Republic of Abkhazia held a meeting with the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation in the presence of the presidential candidate Badra Gunba. We consider this meeting a violation of electoral legislation, as it constitutes participation in campaign activities in support of one candidate. The Central Election Commission once again calls on the state authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia to strictly comply with the norms of the election code. We urge all presidential candidates to uphold the commitments outlined in the 21 February 2025 agreement, signed to maintain stability in the country’s socio-political environment."

The second round of Abkhazia's presidential election is drawing closer, and concerns about the integrity of the process are still running high. How the final vote is handled will be a key test of the country’s commitment to fair and transparent elections.