Zaur Ardzinba (Заур Джотович Ардзинба; 8 May 1950 – 15 April 2015) was a businessman from Abkhazia who unsuccessfully ran for President in the 2009 election.
2009 election
editAttempt by Khajimba and Ardzinba to form an alliance
editIn the run-up to the election, various opposition politicians and organisation often jointly expressed their criticism of the government. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that during the nomination period for candidates, Raul Khajimba and Ardzinba negotiated about running together. The alliance would have combined Ardzinba's backing by part of the business community and his financial resources with Khajimba's elector popularity. The pair said they would run together during two meetings with voters, and the idea was that they would receive the joint nomination by the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia. According to the Kommersant, in the end the pair could not agree on what positions they would get. Khajimba wanted the Presidency, and offered Ardzinba to become Prime Minister, but this was not acceptable to the latter. The congress of the Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia planned on 29 October was called off, and Ardzinba was instead nominated by an initiative group that day. Khajimba had already been nominated by an initiative group on 19 October.[1]
Nevertheless, on 18 November Khajimba and Ardzinba announced that they would continue to coordinate their campaigns, and that they had appointed chairman of Aruaa Vadim Smyr to lead this coordination.[2] On 20 November, Khajimba stated that he and Ardzinba had different visions on coming to power, but that he did not consider Ardzinba his opponent, and that in the case of a second round, he, Ardzinba and Butba would support each other.[3]
Nomination
editZaur Ardzinba was nominated by an initiative group on 29 October, with former Ochamchira District Governor Khrips Jopua as Vice-Presidential candidate.[4]
Election campaign
edit20 November, Zaur Ardzinba requested of the Central Election Commission that it publish the names of the members of the central, district and divisional election commissions, including those abroad.[5]
On 24 November, Ardzinba gave a press conference in which he stated that if he were elected President, he would do everything to bring together the fragmented people of Abkhazia and to remove the divide between 'us' and 'them'. He also declared that he would make use of qualified people in the government administration, from all political camps.[6]
On 11 December, Ardzinba declared that while the power-sharing agreement that resolved the 2004 post-election crisis had meant to bring an end to the division in the Abkhazian society, it had in fact failed to do so, and that he meant to correct that. He added that while the 2004 election had been 'stolen', the opposition would not allow that to happen this time. Ardzinba also spoke out against the size of the bureaucracy, lamenting the duplication of functions.[7]
Result
editAccording to the official result, Ardzinba came in third place, garnering 9296 votes (9.14% of the total).[8]
Death
editArdzinba died on 15 April 2015 at the age of 64.[9]
References
edit- ^ Allenova, Olga (2 November 2009). Сергей Багапш столкнется с поддержанными конкурентами (in Russian). Kommersant. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- ^ Выпуск №555–556–557–558 (in Russian). Apsnypress. 18 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
- ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (20 November 2009). Рауль Хаджимба пожаловался на власти Абхазии в Центризбирком (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (29 October 2009). В Абхазии выдвигается пятый кандидат в президенты (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (26 November 2009). ЦИК Абхазии не нашел нарушений в фактах, указанных в жалобе Хаджимбы (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (24 November 2009). Заур Ардзинба: власти Абхазии применяют административный ресурс (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (11 December 2009). Заур Ардзинба: прошлые выборы в Абхазии были украдены (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (14 December 2009). "ЦИК Абхазии: на выборах президента победил Сергей Багапш (Видео)". Caucasian Knot. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ "Ушел из жизни Заур Джотович Ардзынба". Aiaaira. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.