Strong trio

Early presidential elections in Abkhazia are scheduled for the country's Independence Day, August 26. The first application to participate in the elections was filed by a group of supporters of the former prime minister and vice president of Abkhazia, the leader of the opposition Forum of People's Unity of Abkhazia, Raul Khajimba. Later the Central Electoral Committee registered the current acting head of the republic, Alexander Ankvab. Prime Minister Sergei Shamba was the last one to announce his intention to take part in the elections. According to initial forecasts by political experts, there were supposed to be at least 5 or 6 candidates running for the post of president. The candidates’ registration ended on July 17 with only three candidates on the lists. All of them have great influence on the political life of Abkhazia and the struggle promises to be extremely interesting.

Since 2004 the center of the political life of Abkhazia has been structured around the confrontation of two major political alliances: allies of Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khajimba. Khajimba and Bagapsh, as well as their supporters, came out of the circle of President Vladislav Ardzinba, whose influence in the 1990s was authoritative.

Although Bagapsh and Khajimba always shifted in their attitude to the government, these unions could always rely on certain support. Another important factor in the upcoming elections is the division of Abkhazians a into Western and Eastern ethnic groups. At the moment Abkhazians think that after the term of a member of the Eastern Abkhazian community, Sergey Bagapsh, the new president should be elected from the Western Abkhazians. Both Ankvab and Shamba are members of this community.

Most experts believe that Shambu and Ankvab would be the most likely candidates for the presidency. If this is the case, there will be no political surprises, and there will be no strong struggle since both of them are members of the team, the team of Sergei Bagapsh. Nevertheless, Khajimba also has great chances of winning the elections, as he is supported by former presidential candidate, Zaur Ardzinba (CEO of the "Abkhaz Shipping Company"), who has strong political and financial capital, and Stanislav Lakoba, who is believed to be one of the most impartial and respected politicians in Abkhazia.

Maria Platonova, Sukhumi. Exclusively for VK