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Raul Khajimba wins Abkhazia’s presidential runoff

According to preliminary data, he has garnered 47.38% of the vote

Abkhaz President Raul Khajimba Valery Matitsin/TASS

Abkhaz President Raul Khajimba

© Valery Matitsin/TASS

SUKHUM, September 9. /TASS/. Incumbent Abkhaz President Raul Khajimba has won the presidential runoff, according to preliminary data, garnering 47.38% of the vote, head of Abkhazia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Tamaz Gogia told TASS in the early hours of Monday.

"According to preliminary data, Raul Khajimba is deemed elected in accordance with Article 19 of Abkhazia’s constitutional law on electing the president of the Republic of Abkhazia. Alkhas Kvitsiniya has garnered 46.19% [of the vote], while Raul Khajimba has secured 47.38% in the presidential runoff," he said.

Khajimba’s headquarters earlier reported that the incumbent president garnered 49.3% of the vote after 80,800 of 81,100 ballots had been counted. He is nearly 1.5 percentage points ahead of leader of the opposition party Amtsakhara, Alkhas Kvitsiniya, the headquarters said.

Abkhazia’s presidential runoff was held on September 8. During the runoff election, the voter turnout needs to be at least 25%, and the winner is elected by the simple majority of votes. As of 18:00 Moscow time, the voter turnout stood at 50.99%.

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