Abkhazia did not accredit observers from the Russian Central Election Commission for the elections.

According to the Russian commission, the lists were submitted, and a response was expected by noon on February 11 – but it did not arrive. Based on this, the agency decided not to send its representatives. Furthermore, the Central Election Commission of Russia announced last night that its observers would not be present in Abkhazia, allegedly in response to media inquiries and just before the voting began.

This morning, the Abkhaz Central Election Commission commented on the statement from their Russian counterparts. They asserted that the parties could not agree on the number of observers: Russia wanted to send two hundred individuals, while Abkhazia refused to increase the number of Russian observers. In the event of a second round, they assured that all would be accredited.

Five candidates, including the current head Badra Gunba, are vying for the presidency of the self-proclaimed republic. The election results are expected to be announced by February 18, and a candidate must secure more than half of the votes to win.

Gunba came to power after Aslan Bzhaniya resigned in November 2024, yielding to demands from protesters against the investment agreement with Russia. The agreement was rejected in December, and in February, the parties agreed to review it. At that time, Gunba stated that Abkhazia was focused on attracting Russian investments to its economy.

• Abkhazia and South Ossetia declared their independence in the early 1990s. Following the war with Georgia in 2008, Russia recognized their independence – Russian military forces are stationed in both republics. Tbilisi officially considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be occupied by the Russian army. In UN documents, both territories are referred to as regions of Georgia.