SUKHUM, August 25. /TASS/. The voter turnout at Sunday’s presidential elections in Abkhazia exceeded 56% and the polls were officially recognized as valid, chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Tamaz Gogiya told journalists.

"The threshold has been surpassed. The turnout was 56% as at 19:30 local time," he said.

Abkhazia is holding its presidential elections for the seventh time since 1994. Nine candidates are competing for the post of the head of the republic: incumbent President Raul Khadzhimba, former Chairman of the State Security Service Astamur Tarba, Chairman of the Amtsakhara opposition party Alkhas Kvitsiniya, ex-Vice-Premier Shamil Adzynba, lawmaker Almas Dzhapua, former Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Arshba, Chairman of the Akzaara party, former Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba, entrepreneur Astamur Kakalia and lecturer of the Abkhazian State University Artur Ankvab.

The elections will be recognized as valid, if more than a half of eligible voters go to the polls. A presidential candidate needs to gain more than a half of the electors’ votes to win in the first round of the elections.