Welcome to this week’s Abkhazia Weekly Brief, where we bring you the key stories making headlines across the region. From the colourful launch of the ‘Mandarin Festival’ to pressing issues around voting access for citizens abroad and the latest in political debates, we have got the highlights you need to stay informed. Stay informed with the week’s most important news.
The Mandarin Festival has begun in Abkhazia, launching a six-day cultural celebration on 3 January at Apsny Ethnopark. Featuring over 50 local artisans, the event highlights traditional crafts, cuisine, and beverages. Visitors can enjoy tastings, live performances, archery, mandarin tree planting, and hot air balloon rides. Festival director Svetlana Gabuniya called it a "major, multi-venue event," offering a vibrant showcase of Abkhazian culture and traditions.
A baby boy, weighing 2.7 kg and measuring 50 cm, was born at 12:36 a.m. on 1 January at the Republican Maternity Hospital in Sukhum, according to the Ministry of Health. The child, from the Sanikidze family in Guma village, Sukhum district, marks the first birth of the New Year in Abkhazia. No births were recorded in Gagra, Gudauta, Tquarchal and Ochamchira during New Year's Eve.
Kan Kvarchia registered as presidential candidate. Kvarchia, MP and opposition leader, recently survived a parliamentary shooting. Registration closes on 6 January, with candidates finalised within 10 days.
Previously, the CEC registered seven other initiative groups supporting the presidential candidacies of Acting President Badra Gunba, member of the Supreme Council of the World Abkhaz-Abaza Congress Oleg Bartsyts, leader of the Republican Public Organisation 'Abkhaz People's Movement' Adgur Ardzinba, former First Deputy Prime Minister of Abkhazia Shamil Adzinba, former head of the Audit Chamber Robert Arshba, Chairman of the Black Sea Development Bank Adgur Khurkhumal and businessman Beslan Kvitsinia.
Acting President Badra Gunba failed to meet with local independent media before the New Year, despite earlier assurances. Alkhas Cholokua, head of media relations, cited organisational difficulties. Journalist Nizfa Arshba criticised Gunba’s avoidance, questioning his openness as a presidential candidate. The missed opportunity deepened scepticism about transparency and accountability in Abkhaz leadership.
Akhra Bzhania stated that political reforms are essential for stabilising Abkhazia's governance, emphasising systemic issues rather than relying on new presidential elections alone. He proposed a two-year postponement of elections, declaring a state of emergency, and forming a crisis committee to implement reforms. Bzhania warned of voter protests if reforms precede leadership changes, underscoring societal demands for accountability.
“What will happen if we don't do this and continue down the well-worn path? There is a serious possibility that the election will fail to meet the required turnout threshold. People might simply vote ‘AGAINST ALL’, thus expressing their protest against the political elite’s ‘deafness’ to their concerns. In that case, concessions to citizens would still need to be made and reforms implemented before holding new elections - though by then, not everyone may be eligible to participate...”
— Akhra Bzhania
Tengiz Dzhopua stated, "We urgently need to adopt a new constitution," at the launch of the "For Reforms" public campaign in Sukhum. The initiative aims to secure political reforms regardless of the outcome of Abkhazia's presidential election on 15 February 2025. Djopua emphasised the necessity of systemic change during a press conference at ApsnyHabar.
Alkhas Kvitsinia faces accusations of blocking polling stations for Abkhazian citizens in Kabardino-Balkaria, despite their request for electoral access. Previously, similar stations were opened in North Caucasian republics. Kvitsinia’s silence on the issue has spurred allegations of deliberate sabotage, deepening mistrust towards him and the former administration he represents, including ex-President Aslan Bzhania’s team.
Abkhazian citizens in South and North Ossetia are facing difficulties voting in the upcoming presidential elections. The Representation of Abkhazia in Vladikavkaz announced that voters must travel to Cherkessk or Abkhazia to cast their ballots, sparking frustration within the community. One citizen questioned the fairness of the process, asking, “What does this mean??? Have we lost the right to vote, which was granted to us by law when we obtained citizenship as volunteers???”
Economist Akhra Aristava stated that Abkhazia lacks mechanisms for compromise-driven state decision-making, leading to recurring crises. He criticised the failure to end tax benefits amid budget deficits, highlighting the need for tax reforms ensuring fairness. Dependency on Russian aid, while businesses enjoy tax breaks, is unsustainable. Aristava urged constitutional reforms enabling decisive governance, warning that without compromises and unpopular decisions, issues like energy, corruption, and demographics will perpetuate crises, jeopardising Abkhazia's independence.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Abkhazia conducted a search at former MP Adgur Kharazia’s residence in Bagmaran, Gulrypsh district. Authorities seized firearms, ammunition, and explosives with detonators. A forensic ballistic examination has been ordered. Kharazia remains at large following a fatal parliamentary shooting in which he killed MP Vakhtang Golandziya and injured opposition member Kan Kvarchiya.
During an inspection of Krasnodar Krai’s coastline, where volunteers continue clearing oil residue, gubernatorial advisor Andrey Zaytsev faced scrutiny over Anapa's reported ₽1 billion allocation for cleanup. Laughing, he deflected questions about fund usage. Volunteers, working at personal expense without equipment, highlighted disorganisation. Despite ₽1.2 billion ($10.92 million USD.) budgeted, resources remain scarce, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in addressing the ecological disaster.
In an interview with Respublika Abkhazia, Acting Minister of Health Eduard Butba detailed measures ensuring uninterrupted operations in medical facilities during rolling blackouts. Hospitals relied on backup power sources, with over 300 patients under continuous care. Butba praised the coordinated efforts of staff maintaining generators, fuel supplies, and repairs. Key facilities, including the Republican Hospital, consumed 210 litres of diesel per hour, requiring substantial reserves. Preparations included medical supplies, oxygen, and round-the-clock transport readiness to handle emergencies.
Journalist Inal Khashig, criticised Abkhazia’s “decorative institutions,” such as the Audit Chamber and Constitutional Court, for their lack of tangible results despite significant budget allocations—₽54.5 million ($495,950 USD) for the Audit Chamber in 2025 alone. He noted no officials have been prosecuted based on audits, while recurring crises highlight the Constitutional Court's ineffectiveness. Khashig urged either dismantling these costly entities or reforming them to serve the state's and citizens' interests meaningfully.
Journalist Izida Chania, equates power with corruption and corruption with government secrecy. She argues that breaking this destructive cycle and dismantling entrenched corrupt networks requires a change in leadership. Only then, she asserts, can there be another opportunity to reform the system in the interests of the country and its people.
“The most important truths in this world are often the simplest. The unity of people can move mountains, resilience and determination are rewarded with victory, and mutual respect and tolerance allow us to remain human, no matter the circumstances. No matter how difficult our past has been or what mistakes we have made, our future is in our hands. Do not believe anyone who says we are weak, incapable, or undeserving. We can achieve anything. Every prosperous nation in this world has been built and governed by people just like us—no better, no worse. We, too, have the power to create a civilised country and a modern society. We only need to believe in ourselves! With hope for the future and faith in ourselves—Happy 2025! May peace, prosperity, and kindness be with us all.”
PODCAST
Language, Land, and Legacy: The Systematic Suppression of Abkhazian Identity
Abkhazian Christmas: Ritual Practice and Archaic Roots of the Celebration