Georgia: citizens of separatist Abkhaz can vote for leader abroad
December 3, 2009
BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Text of report by Abkhaz separatist government's official news agency Apsnypress:
Due to amendments to the electoral legislation passed by the [Abkhaz] parliament, those Abkhaz citizens, who are outside Abkhazia, will be able to exercise their legal right and cast vote in Moscow or Cherkessk [Russia's Karachay-Cherkessia], chairman of the Abkhaz central election commission [CEC] Batal Tabaghua has said at a briefing held at the CEC.
In order to eliminate rigging and [prevent people from] voting twice, representatives of the CEC will report to the CEC in Sukhumi by phone or fax the names of voters. Members of the CEC, on their part, should remove these voters from the main voter roll according to their place of registration in Abkhazia.
"This will be done in the presence of observers. If [presidential candidates' election] headquarters or authorized representatives have the desire, copies of the lists of voters, who cast votes abroad, will be handed over to them," Tabaghua said.
He told journalists that the CEC, in effect, accepts all proposals and complaints reported by various headquarters and reacts to them. "Headquarters of [presidential] candidates Raul Khadzhimba and Zaur Ardzinba have jointly drafted 21 proposals on the election campaign and handed them over to us," he said.
Tabaghua said that during these days, the CEC is drafting a sample of ballot papers. He specified that the number of ballot papers to be sent to Moscow and Cherkessk would not exceed 3,000.
The chairman of the CEC ruled out the possibility of taking ballot papers away from polling stations for voting. In order to avoid facts of "photo evidence" with the help of cell phones, the CEC has decided to install election booths without curtains at the polling stations.
"Our goal is to make sure that all candidates for president and vice-president as well as voters are assured that the election of the head of the republic is held in an absolutely transparent manner and that the secret voting is ensured," Batal Tabaghua said.
Source: Apsnypress, Sukhumi, in Russian 1704gmt 02 Dec 09
