Presidential election in breakaway Abkhazia, planned for December 12, is a “comedy” staged by the Kremlin, President Saakashvili’s spokesperson said. 

“As far as so called elections in Abkhazia are concerned, which does not even have separatist regime any more and which has simply turned into an occupied territory, the Georgian President thinks that the Kremlin has totally vanished elements of the Abkhaz autonomy and it is immoral on the Russian side to stage this comedy,” Manana Manjgaladze, President Saakashvili’s spokesperson, said on December 10.

Five candidates, including incumbent Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh, are running in Saturday’s vote.

Other four candidates are: Raul Khajimba, former vice-president of the breakaway region; a businessman and a former lawmaker Beslan Butba, who is leader of Party of Economic Development; head of state-owned Abkhaz Shipping Company Zaur Ardzinba and a scholar Vitaly Bganba.

An official Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported on December 10 that total of 131,000 voters were eligible for vote.