On 8 September, the second round of the so-called presidential elections in Abkhazia were held. The de facto incumbent President of the Russian-occupied region Raul Khajimba won the presidential run-off, receiving 47.38% of the vote, while his opponent Alkhas Kvitsiniya received 46.19% votes. About 83,000 people voted in the second round.

Khajimba faced Alkhas Kvitsinia,  leader of the opposition party Amtsakhara after the first round of elections, which was held on 25 August, did not result in a who held at least 50% of the vote. In the first round, Khajimba received 24.83% of the vote, while Kvitsinia received 22.91% of votes. The so-called first round of presidential elections in the occupied Abkhazia were condemned from Georgia and internationally (Caucasus Watch reported).

Raul Khajimba was first elected to the role after the forceful resignation of former de facto President Aleksand Ankvab in May 2014. Earlier he served as the de facto foreign minister (2002-2003), de facto prime minister (2003-2004), de facto vice president (2005-2009) of the Russian occupied region. From 2010-2014 he led the opposition party Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia.

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the elections were “illegitimate” and “illegal”. “Besides being illegal these elections have no legitimacy either in legal, political or moral terms” Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia said. “There is only one country exercising effective control over these territories and this is the Russian Federation, and the only purpose of the elections in occupied regions is to “legitimize” Russian occupation in Georgia,” he added.