2016 Abkhazian early presidential elections referendum

A referendum on holding early presidential elections was held in Abkhazia on 10 July 2016.[1] The referendum was declared invalid due to low turnout (1.23%), after both sides decided to boycott it.[2]

Abkhazia
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Abkhazia
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Background

A petition calling for a referendum was started by an initiative group in March 2016,[3] who were required to obtain 10,000 signatures. On 22 April, the initiative group handed over the petition to the Central Election Commission with 19,314 signatures, stating that it had collected 21,226 signatures but had omitted those that were invalid because the information of the signatory was incomplete.[4] The referendum was approved by a decree signed by President Raul Khajimba on 1 June.[1] On 28 June, CEC Chairman Batal Tabagua announced that there would be no polling stations outside Abkhazia.[5]

Interior Ministry crisis

In the run-up to the referendum, Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba gave a speech to officials at the Ministry that angered opposition activists, who claimed Dzapshba had pressured the officials not to participate in the referendum and threatened them with dismissal. On 20 June, three of Dzapshba's predecessors as Interior Minister, Abesalom Beia, Otar Khetsia and Raul Lolua, called upon President Khajimba to dismiss him.[6] On 5 July, some opposition activists stormed the Ministry and demanded i.a. Dzapshba's resignation. As a concession to the protestors, Khajimba suspended Dzapshba for the duration of an investigation into the matter by the Prosecutor General.[7][8]

Results

The referendum was declared invalid due to low turnout (1.23%) as it was boycotted by both the government and the opposition. Of those who voted, a majority was against holding an early election.[2]

Do you consider it necessary to hold early election of President of the Republic of Abkhazia?[1]

Choice Votes %
For75049.64
Against76150.36
Invalid/blank votes117–
Total1,628100
Registered voters/turnout132,8871.23
Source: TASS
gollark: That *would* be pretty cool.
gollark: Or are you doing something where you invisibly hide fingers in text with zero width character steganography or something?
gollark: Is "finger" a metaphor for "things which are not actually fingers"?
gollark: I'm not looking at any fingers. Except possibly my own, since they are in front of me when I use a keyboard. Unless you count the kermit's in the thumbnail.
gollark: > the idea that we need to do better than someone else at what they did to get more recognition or money than themI mean, you don't, you can do... different things, if people prefer them.

References
  1. Abkhazia to Hold Referendum on Snap Presidential Election Civil, 2 June 2016
  2. Expert: Abkhazia referendum outcome - victory of incumbent president TASS, 11 July 2016
  3. Abkhaz Leader Agrees To Opposition's Demand For Referendum Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 30 June 2016
  4. Basaria, Dmitri (22 April 2016). "Инициативная группа по проведению референдума передала в ЦИК подписные листы с подписями". Apsnypress. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  5. Jopua, Irena (28 June 2016). "Батал Табагуа: за пределами республики избирательных участков не будет". Apsnypress. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  6. "ЭКС-МИНИСТРЫ ВНУТРЕННИХ ДЕЛ ОТАР ХЕЦИЯ, РАУЛЬ ЛОЛУА И АБЕССАЛОМ БЕЙЯ ПРЕДЛАГАЮТ ПРЕЗИДЕНТУ ОТПРАВИТЬ В ОТСТАВКУ МИНИСТРА ВНУТРЕННИХ ДЕЛ ЛЕОНИДА ДЗАПШАБА". Abkhazia Inform. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. "Леонид Дзапшба временно отстранён от исполнения обязанностей министра внутренних дел". Apsnypress. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  8. "Алексей Ломия: речь идет об организации массовых беспорядков". Apsnypress. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
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