The vice president of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, won the presidential race in the breakaway Georgian region on Saturday, a victory that is likely to keep the territory in Russia's sphere of influence. Friday's polls, which Tbilisi says were illegitimate, were called after President Sergei Bagapsh died in May.
According to the Central Election Commission, Ankvab won 54.86 percent of the votes. The runners-up were Prime Minister Sergei Shamba and former KGB agent Raul Khadzhimba, the most vociferous critic of Abkhazia's growing dependence on Russia. "Russia is our strategic ally, we treasure these relations and intend to further develop them," Ankvab said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated him on the win, while Moscow's Foreign Ministry said the elections were a "success". The West is officially ignoring Friday's election, but continues to monitor Abkhazia closely because of its potential to create friction between Georgia and Russia in the South Caucasus, a transit route for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea. Nato said on Saturday it did not recognise the elections, and reiterated its support for the sovereignty of Georgia.
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