SUKHUM, August 24, /ITAR-TASS/. Election staff of Abkhazia’s political opposition leader Raul Khadjimba has said he is winning in the first round of the early presidential election that was held Sunday.

Artur Mikvabiya, the chief of Khadjimba’s staff, told Itar-Tass early returns suggested that Khadjimba has received about 60% of votes in an election that had been market by an obviously high voter turnout.

Mikvabiya said his data was based on the information reported observers from the polling stations.

The Central Election Commission of this young South Caucasian country promises to make the preliminary results of elections public by 12:00 hours Monday.

“The counting of votes at the polling stations is still in progress but one can speak already now of a confident leadership,” Mikvabiya said.

Khadjimba’s supporters who gathered on Sukhum’s embankment have already begun to celebrate. Drivers are honking the horns and people are drinking sparkling wine.

The number of polling stations is not big and that is why the candidates for presidency could send their observers to each station for doing their own vote counting.