For years, ethnic Georgians from the town of Gali and its district, in occupied Abkhazia have faced obstacles to voting in Georgian elections, and the recent parliamentary elections on 26 October were no exception. Gali is the district populated by ethnic Georgians and is adjacent to the occupation line that separates Abkhazia from the rest of Georgia.
About the author: Lela Jobava is a conflict researcher and journalist
Georgia’s recent parliamentary elections, held on October 26, have drawn considerable international attention. Some foreign governments, like Hungarian, Turkish, Iranian, and even Venezuelan, favouring the ruling Georgian Dream party, congratulated them on a “well-deserved victory.”
Although some foreign governments congratulated the ruling Georgian Dream party on its win, international observers reported widespread irregularities and violations, media bias, and voter intimidation, raising concerns about whether the elections were free and fair. According to the results announced by the Central Election Commission, Georgian Dream secured over 53% of the vote, but local and international monitoring groups cited numerous irregularities.
Despite the fundamental right to vote, thousands of ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia remain barred from political participation. During the elections, crossing the de-facto border is nearly impossible, and no online voting options exist. Residents in Gali and surrounding areas find themselves isolated from the very system that should represent them. In conversations with me, residents of Gali and its district expressed feelings of abandonment. What does voting mean to these disenfranchised citizens?
2024 Elections
I sought to explore the voices and sentiments of Georgians from Abkhazia, examining the dynamics of mobilization of voters during Georgia’s 2024 elections. A 55-year-old woman from Gali recalled, that she vividly remembers that the last time she and her husband was in 2012. They voted in Zugdidi because that was their temporary address. It was the time when the Georgian Dream party first appeared on the political scene, and they had high hopes that many positive changes were in store. “My husband was skeptical about the party founded by the oligarch, while I was sure that the promises it made would put Georgia in a good position, and that it would also be beneficial for Georgians from Abkhazia. But all in vain”.
Her 60-year-old husband said that after the end of the war in Abkhazia, there was not a single person or political party that would put Georgian-Abkhazian or Georgian-Ossetian issues first. He mentioned that he was not only referring to the Georgian Dream, but that none of the other political parties had ever initiated anything that would transform this conflict, or at least ensure the minimal political participation of the ethnic Georgians. In Abkhazia, as ethnic Georgians, they have a residence permit that denies them the right to participate in the elections. “Tell me what is the difference between the Abkhazian and Georgian authorities, while here they deliberately deprive us of the right to participate in the elections on an ethnic basis, and on the Georgian side no one has asked us about our opinion, our political involvement or the right to take part in the elections.”
Unlike them, a 47 year-old man from the village of Saberio, had no hope or desire to vote in the elections. “For me, it doesn’t matter, who is elected. Nothing will change for us,” he said.
Without a Right to Vote
Conflicts and human rights researcher Teona Piranishvili at the Social Justice Center (SJC) explains, Georgians from Abkhazia are not only deprived of basic human rights, but are also not viewed as part and as citizens of Georgia. In her words, Georgians not only face multiple challenges in terms of human rights, mobility, and documentation within Abkhazia, but are “forgotten” by Georgian politics. She notes that Georgian politicians only bring up Abkhazia in “populist speeches about lost territories” and rarely focus on real issues such as securing human rights. The 2024 elections, she says, were no exception— “not a word” was said about the inclusion of Georgians from Abkhazia. “No one thought of 27,000 ethnic Georgians residing in Abkhazia,” says Piranishvili.
A 42-year-old resident of Otobaia village, which lies on the occupation line between Abkhazia and Samegrelo regions, shared her frustration at feeling forgotten by Georgian authorities, yet noted the yearly presence of individuals mobilizing villagers to vote for the Georgian Dream. “Everyone, including me, was shocked,” she said. “How could Georgian Dream ideologically “cross the border” to rally votes here in Abkhazia?” She was approached to help with election day logistics, including transportation to Zugdidi, where voters received small payments of GEL 20-30 and bags of potatoes and onions, but she rejected this offer.
She explained that while other citizens faced obstacles, Otobaia residents voting for the Georgian Dream were seemingly on a list kept by the Abkhazian and Russian border police, who allowed them to cross the otherwise “closed” crossing point to cast their votes in Zugdidi without interference.
Ilia State University professor and conflict researcher Malkhaz Toria shares Piranishvili’s view, emphasizing the lack of political commitment to integrating people from Gali into Georgia’s civic life. “People in Abkhazia face double exclusion—not only from voting but also from understanding the value of voting,” he says. Toria points out that while many in Abkhazia are isolated from Georgian politics, only half of Georgian population participated in the election. He attributes this, in part, to systemic issues like border closures, lack of transportation, and minimal information about voting locations and procedures — problems largely unaddressed outside of NGOs and civil society organizations.
Obstacles
Recent research by the SJC on the issue, soon to be published and seen by the author, has identified the following circumstances and obstacles to the participation of Georgians from Abkhazia in the elections:
- The crossing points closure for several days before and after the elections, which impedes the movement of people across the border, not allowing them to reach their election districts;
- Absence of the discourse regarding the votes of Georgians from Abkhazia. In recent years, none of the parties have come up with an idea on how to ease the process of voting for people who cannot cross the border by creating an online platform or election precincts near the Enguri Bridge on the Georgian side;
- No information campaigns aimed at Georgians from Abkhazia to inform them about the electoral process. Their only source of information is the mass media and the Internet.
A resident of Zemo Barghepi village, a 30 years-old man, mentioned, that the last time the border was closed from 23 to 30 October. This makes it even more difficult for people, to leave their houses for a week, because they don’t have the means, a place to stay, or simply because they are afraid to leave their homes for such a long time for security reasons. “The only ones who benefit from this.. are Georgian Dream, but other parties should be conscious and cautious about it too,” he noted, adding that the authorities seem to know that many Georgians from Abkhazia wouldn’t support them, as they feel forgotten by the government.
Reflecting on the lost trust, he recounted experience of the 2021 pandemic, when residents pleaded with Georgian authorities to open the crossing points for essential needs. “People were starving and needed medical help, but they kept the two-week quarantine in place, casing some to risk—and lose their lives crossing the Enguri river,” he said.
Several Gali residents studying in Tbilisi echoed feelings of exclusion from Georgian politics. A 22-year-old law student at Tbilisi State University expressed her frustration at her family’s inability to vote. “I often wonder, where do all of these 27,000 votes go? Why are they so unimportant to policymakers?” she questioned, highlighting that thissizeable group could influence the outcome of elections.
She also pointed to the overlooked resilience of the people of Gali: “No one sees us as a bridge uniting Abkhazians and Georgians, or as potential reconcilers. What we lack is political will.
Disillusionment
While debates about the fairness of the elections continue, political actors in Georgia have failed to address these injustices, leaving a population feeling forgotten and disillusioned. Living in a conflict-ridden region, these people have faced countless challenges. For years, they’ve been denied the right to vote, whether through closed crossing points or a lack of support from the Georgian authorities. They want their voices to be heard, their votes to be counted and their concerns to be understood – just like any other citizen.
“This isn’t just about politics – it’s a basic human right. Voting should be easy and accessible, not a privilege for those lucky enough to live on one side of a border,” says Toria.
Names in this article have been changed to protect the safety of the respondents.