SUKHUMI, Abkhazia
Presidential voting in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia has begun following the resignation of Alexander Ankvab.
On Sunday, voters went to the polls to choose between Aslan Bzhania, head of national security; former Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba; Defence Minister Mirab Kishmaria; and opposition leader Raul Khadjimba.
The former Georgian republic declared independence in 2008 following a brief war with Georgia in which Abkhazia was backed by Russia.
Ankvab stood down in May following anti-government protests against corruption and authoritarianism.
There are more than 130,000 voters in Abkhazia, according to the country’s Central Election Committee, and 154 polling stations were open on Sunday.
Voter turnout must be more than 50 percent for the election to be valid. The results are expected on Monday.
Three polling stations are outside Abkhazia, in Moscow, Cherkessk, Russia, and Istanbul.
In Istanbul, there was tension between Abkhazians and police when ballot boxes were seized. Abkhazians protested that the action, by order of a Turkish court, was due to Georgian influence.
Ramazan Cengiz Koc, chairman of the Federation of Abkhaz Associations, said nearly 1,800 people had come to vote before the ballot boxes were confiscated.
Voting recommenced at a police station in Istanbul’s Kadikoy Iskele district.
The European External Action Service said in a written statement that the EU didn't recognize the election.
Abkhazia, a self-declared independent state, is a disputed area between Russia and Georgia. It is recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.
Moscow recognized the independence of the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after a six-day war with Georgia in 2008.
www.aa.com.tr/en
