Debate in Abkhazia Over Raising Parliamentary Candidate Age from 25 to 30

SUKHUM / AQW'A —  A public debate has emerged in Abkhazia over the proposed increase of the minimum age for parliamentary candidates from 25 to 30, with opinions divided over whether the change would encourage greater political maturity or exclude young people from law-making.

The discussion was highlighted by the OKNO Telegram channel, which published comments from several public figures and respondents on the issue.

Viktor, 50, criticised the proposed change, saying he saw no reason to alter the current age requirement. In his view, such a move suggests that deputies do not trust the electorate to decide for themselves whether a 25-year-old or an older candidate is more suitable for office.

He also pointed to Abkhaz history, arguing that many important achievements were associated with young political figures. As an example, he noted that Nestor Lakoba entered politics at the age of 26. “I do not think a person at 25 is more foolish than a person at 30,” he said.

Viktor warned that young people may interpret the change as an attempt to cut them off from politics, law-making and governance. He suggested that this could lead to a backlash against the current parliament, particularly as young people make up a significant part of the electorate.

Leuan Mikaa took a different view, describing the controversy as being connected more to the atmosphere around parliamentary elections than to the substance of the reform itself. He called the proposed change a “cosmetic” measure that, in his opinion, would not significantly alter the political landscape.

Mikaa said he did not believe the higher age threshold would distance young people from public life. He argued that young people could prove themselves in many other fields, including culture, education and business. For him, the more urgent priority is improving education and raising the intellectual level of society.

Larisa Katsiya, however, saw the proposal as a clear attempt to push young people away from politics and law-making. She added that this seemed especially aimed at the part of the younger generation that “reads books”, implying politically aware and intellectually engaged youth.

Nadezhda Venediktova expressed support for a higher age threshold, arguing that maturity now comes later than in the past. She said that at 25, many people are still focused on self-discovery and personal emotions, and may not yet be ready for parliamentary responsibility.

According to Venediktova, effective law-making requires substantial life experience and a long period of observing social processes. She argued that young people who wish to enter public and political life should first demonstrate their abilities through concrete initiatives that benefit society.

Liana Kvarchelia offered a more nuanced assessment. She said that raising the age threshold is not, in itself, a guarantee that professionals will enter government. At the same time, she argued that young people should gain experience and advance through a career path before taking a seat in parliament or becoming president.

Kvarchelia said it was not appropriate for someone to enter a local assembly, or even parliament, immediately after university — or, in some cases, after school — without having worked at all. However, she also questioned what kind of experience young people can gain within a flawed system that contains many opportunities for corruption and where they may simply copy the behaviour of their “older comrades”.

She stressed that reforms should be comprehensive and systematic, rather than based on one isolated decision. In her view, a seat in parliament or the presidency should be earned, and electoral victory does not always reflect a person’s real service to society.

Akhra Bzhania also questioned the logic behind the age change. He said there was no clear reason to assume that reaching a particular age, especially with a difference of only a few years, automatically improves professionalism in law-making or governance.

Bzhania argued that age cannot easily be linked to the quality of thought or competence. In his view, if age restrictions are introduced, they must be justified by evidence that people below a certain age are unable to achieve specific results, while those above it can. He said he did not see how such an argument could be applied convincingly in sociology.

He added that by the age of 25, a person should already have acquired enough experience and knowledge to solve important problems and take responsibility for others. Raising the threshold, he said, provides no guarantees and looks like an empty gesture by parliament.

Bzhania also referred to discussion around the removal of an upper age limit for candidates. He said there were rumours that the move was connected to former president Alexander Ankvab, although he added that it was difficult to know whether this was true. In any case, he said, such upper age limits are not common in international practice, and parliament may simply have brought the rule into line with standard practice.

On whether the age threshold would discourage young people from entering politics, Bzhania was sceptical. He said he did not see a correlation between the legal age requirement and young people’s desire to participate in elections, governance or political life. If a young person is genuinely drawn to politics, he argued, they will wait until they reach the required age.

Guli Kichba said the issue had been discussed in the Public Chamber, but that no common position had been reached. Speaking personally, she said that given the current composition of parliament, she would like to see more people in their forties, as they generally have more experience and more time to complete not only higher education but also other stages of professional and personal development.

Kichba described the proposed change as the right decision. She said there are many intelligent and educated young people in Abkhazia, but that many of them do not appear eager to enter politics, governance or law-making. Instead, she said, they are more often drawn to blogging, journalism or business.

She suggested that some young people may be disappointed with politics, while those who do enter government are often people who have found a personal niche there. Kichba said she did not believe the age threshold would significantly affect this process or scare young people away from public life.

The debate reflects a broader tension in Abkhaz politics between demands for generational renewal and concerns over political experience, responsibility and readiness for legislative office. While some see the proposed age increase as a barrier against young and politically active citizens, others argue that public authority should come only after a longer period of social, professional and civic experience.