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By Maria Platonova, exclusively to VK
Abkhazia held parliamentary elections on the 10th of March. 156 candidates competed to become MPs, while 46 observers from 9 states monitored the process. All observers say with one voice that the vote was calm, democratic and ‘by-the-book’, without any violations – and it’s hard to argue with that. Parliamentary elections in Abkhazia traditionally go smoother than the presidential polls. Last Saturday’s election, though, can be called the quietest one in a few years. One of the most popular explanations for the undramatic nature of this vote is that the people became confident in their future. As one of the observers mentioned, "it is not surprising that all went calmly: after the recognition of Abkhaz independence by Russia, its people feel strong support, and that couldn’t but leave an impact on the campaign. And parliamentary elections are traditionally less effective than the presidential election.”
Officials agree with this characteristic. Interior Minister Otar Hetsiya stressed that parliamentary elections are always less tense than the presidentials: “Abkhazia is a small country and those who vote for a candidate often know him personally, and that reduces the possibility of violations and pressuring the voters to zero.”
However, there is yet another, less optimistic explanation: the lack of true competition during the parliamentary campaign can be explained by the low level of influence the People’s Assembly has on the political life of Abkhazia. This drop in influence is connected to Alexander Ankvab’s rise to power. His policy of ‘tightening the screws’ is thought to be aimed at strengthening the executive branch of power in the republic, which leads to a drop in interest in parliamentary debate. At a first glance, this opinion seems to be a bit discrepant: the number of candidates (150) competing for 35 parliamentary seats is record-breaking. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that interest in the parliament has increased, on the contrary, as one of the candidates noted, the situation turned into "pre-election anarchy" with no predictable outcome. The numerous candidates didn’t attract much public attention, which leads to the conclusion that the people were not very interested in the actual shape of the future parliament, as they believe that real power lies in the president’s hands.
In any case, it is too early to draw any final conclusions. Second rounds are expected in at least a half of the country’s districts, and these will take place in two weeks. Which of the offered explanations is closer to the truth will be seen only after the parliament is fully formed and starts its work.
