Abkhaz Vice President Gunba elected president in second round of elections - CEC

SUKHUM. March 3 (Interfax) - Abkhaz Vice President Badra Gunba won the repeat presidential elections in Abkhazia, Abkhaz Central Elections Commission (CEC) Chairman Dmitry Marshan said at a briefing on Sunday.

"Presidential candidate Badra Gunba received 54.73% of votes following the initial vote counting, his opponent Adgur Ardzinba 41.54%," he said.

A total of 54,954 people voted for Gunba and 41,708 for Ardzinba, he said.

"Therefore, Badra Gunba received the most votes in the repeat election and was elected president of Abkhazia," Marshan said.

A total of 143,651 people were included in the lists of voters, and the turnout in the repeat election was 70%, he said. A total of 100,412 people voted. A total of 2,065 people voted against all, and 1,687 ballots were declared void.

The number of people who voted on March 1 exceeded the number of people who voted in the first round of the elections by almost 1,000, Marshan said.

A total of 98,790 people voted in the first round of the elections on February 15. Gunba received 46.38% of votes at the time and Ardzinba 36.92%.

The CEC will announce the final election results in three days after the voting, as it is envisaged by the Abkhaz law on the presidential elections.