The Abkhazian Parliamentary Committee on State and Legal Policy has discussed raising the minimum age for presidents from 35 to 40 and for MPs from 25 to 30. The committee also discussed amending further items in the electoral code.
The presence of representatives of parties and public movements at the meeting, according to Parliamentary Speaker Lasha Ashuba, allowed for a detailed discussion of the political process within the framework of reforming the electoral code.
If these changes pass the remaining votes, the political reality in Abkhazia will change significantly.
The most heated debate has erupted around the age of future leaders, as a trend toward conservatism emerged.
For presidential candidates, MPs decided to increase the age limit by five years, from 35–65 years to 40–70 years.
Although there were initiatives to completely abolish the upper limit, Ashuba categorically opposed it, recalling that the president’s job entails enormous workloads and business trips.
‘The founders of our state followed the logic that the president of Abkhazia must be physically healthy and active […] I think it would be justified if we raised the upper age limit to 70. If someone is elected at that age, they will be able to work until 75’, Ashuba said.
Proponents of the reform are convinced that past crises have severed the connection between generations in the country, and entrusting power to the young and emotional is simply dangerous now.
Young activists dreaming of a seat in parliament will also have to wait. The committee recommended raising the minimum age for MP candidates from 25 to 30. MP Gennady Tsulaya strongly opposed this, calling for a look back at history.
‘The modern Abkhazian state […] was built by the hands of people, the vast majority of whom were young people’, he said. ‘If we look at the lists of those killed in the [the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)], we see that the majority of them were under 30’.
Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Shamba supported Tsulaya’s argument, noting that in unicameral parliaments around the world, the age limit rarely exceeds 25, and the 30-year threshold is specific to more conservative upper chambers.
MP Dmitry Marshaniya argued against the proposal, saying that going to war does not make a person ‘ready to govern the state at the highest level’.
‘Look at the current political reality: we often see 70-year-old politicians abruptly replaced by 30-year-olds. We have effectively lost an entire intermediate generation of leaders’, he said, adding that Abkhazia operates under a majoritarian system, where everyone is responsible for themselves.
Comparing Abkhazia to the EU, Marshaniya said, where 21-year-old MPs simply vote at the behest of their party factions, is inappropriate.
This position was supported by opposition figure Aslan Bartsits, chair of the forum of People’s Unity of Abkhazia party.
‘I myself am a veteran of military operations. During the the [War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)], I was a very young man, but we were commanded by adults, experienced men […] We were led into battle by people with considerable experience’, he said. ‘We must think about what the people expect from us and what they demand from you, the deputies. And they expect high-quality, well-thought-out laws’.
Protection against political tourism
The MPs have decided to take a serious approach to so-called ‘political tourism’ and the manipulation of constituencies, which previously regularly led to local scandals.
First, a five-year residency requirement is being introduced for candidates, making it so that parliamentary candidates have to physically reside in Abkhazia before the elections. The changes would also make prospective candidates ineligible for parliament if they spend more than three months abroad per year.
MP Inar Gitsba expressed concern that this could artificially discourage active young people who study in Russia, especially since the adopted educational qualifications automatically means that candidates are likely to be older.
However, opposition MP Kan Kvarchiya countered, noting that the law is focused on a systemic approach, not exceptions.
‘Let the candidate first prove themselves at the local level [in city council elections] before seeking a seat in parliament, where crucial decisions for the entire country are made’, he said.
The chair of the Central Election Commission, Dmitry Marshan, added that with the introduction of additional barriers such as military service, higher education, and five years of work experience, the candidate’s age would already ‘purely and arithmetically’ exceed 27-28 years, but the key is to align the laws.
Secondly, a complete ban on voter migration is being introduced. As soon as the president signs the decree setting the election date, citizens over 18 are prohibited from changing their place of residence or registration until the Central Election Commission tallies the results. This will close a loophole where candidates would move loyal people from one district to another in droves right before the vote to achieve their desired results. Furthermore, the Central Election Commission has been officially empowered to create a special linguistic commission to test candidates’ knowledge of the Abkhaz language, and election funds were capped at approximately ₽1.8 million ($25,000).
Criminal punishment for interference in elections
Perhaps the most important amendment concerns the protection of Abkhazia’s elections from external influence.
Legislators recalled the scandal during the local elections in November 2025, when foreign ‘political consultants’ clashed with opposition figures, causing a serious rift in relations between Abkhazia and Russia.
Now, foreign citizens, stateless persons, foreign organisations, and international public movements are completely prohibited from participating in election campaigns, from campaigning and financing to conducting opinion polls, from the moment the elections are called. An exception is made only for official international observers invited through the Foreign Ministry and the Central Election Commission.
To ensure that the ban does not remain a mere declaration on paper, deputies are simultaneously amending article 137 of the criminal code to fine foreigners attempting to interfere in elections ₽100,000–₽200,000 ($1,400–$2,800).
MPs have also discussed banning all officials from participating in campaigning efforts, even if they are officially on unpaid leave.
Aslan Bartsits summarised the position of those in favour of strict sovereign control, recalling the absence of a peace treaty with Georgia.
‘Large, recognised states are easily forgiven for any mistakes […] They are reliably protected from all sides, so their internal errors pose no existential threat. For Abkhazia, however, any mistake, any slightest lag in response to the situation, or loss of time is mortally dangerous […] Parliament, above all, carries a colossal responsibility’, he said.
Following hours of debate, the committee recommended that parliament adopt the bill in its second reading.
For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.
