Abkhazia refutes data on forced voting in Gali

Ruslan Kishmariya, Abkhazian President's plenipotentiary for the Gali District, has categorically refuted statements of some Georgian media that the Abkhazian militia and Russian militaries violently brought residents of the Gali District to polling stations to force them to take part in today's presidential election in Abkhazia.

"In total, only 3500 so-called 'Abkhazian passports' have been issued in the Gali District. Russian militaries come to the houses of these people and order them to take part in the election. Those who vote will get special stamps in their passports," is affirmed, in particular, by the website "Our Abkhazia".

"This is nonsense and fabrication of our 'foreign friends'," Mr Kishmariya said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by telephone from Gali. "On the contrary, many Gali residents regret that they can't vote because they have no national passports."

In total, five candidates run for the post of Abkhazian President: apart from Sergey Bagapsh and Beslan Butba, who also chairs the Party of Economic Development, they are Raul Khadzhimba, ex-vice-president, Zaur Ardzinba, manager of the state "Abkhazian Sea Shipping Company", and Academician Vitaly Bganba, Doctor of Philosophy and Economy.