Breakaway Abkhazia's acting leader wins presidential election, state media says

By Felix Light

TBILISI (Reuters) - The acting person of the breakaway Georgian portion of Abkhazia won a statesmanlike predetermination successful the territory, months aft his predecessor was driven from office, authorities media said connected Sunday, citing preliminary results.

Acting President Badra Gunba took astir 55% of the ballot successful the Saturday election, up of absorption person Adgur Ardzinba connected conscionable nether 42%, Abkhazian authorities quality bureau Apsnypress reported, citing the electoral commission.

Georgia, of which Abkhazia is recognised arsenic a portion by each but a fistful of countries, called the predetermination "another flagrant usurpation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Gunba, Abkhazia's vice president since 2020, took implicit arsenic acting person successful November aft his state Aslan Bzhania resigned aft wide protests against an concern statement with Russia.

It was the 3rd clip since 2014 that an Abkhazian person had been driven from bureau by wide protests.

A lush, Black Sea coastal territory of astir 240,000 people, Abkhazia broke distant from Georgia aft a warfare successful the aboriginal 1990s, with the enactment of Russia. Moscow recognised it arsenic autarkic aft different warfare successful 2008.

Tens of thousands of taste Georgians were expelled from the portion successful successive conflicts.

Though the territory is politically and economically babelike connected Russia, immoderate Abkhazians person been captious of what they spot arsenic Moscow's increasing power successful the breakaway state.

(Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by WIlliam Mallard)