The lineup for the new electoral commission received final confirmation upon the issuance by President Vladislav Ardzinba of a decree bringing in former Justice Minister Batala Tapgua, lawyer Timur Golandzia, Bella Aarshba, Head of the Culture Department of in the Kvarcheli regional administration, and Fatima Dautia, the principal of a private school.
Abkhazia's Central Election Commission is comprised of 15 officials, with eight to be elected by the Parliament and the remaining seven, to be appointed by the President. During a recent political crisis, several of the commission members, including Chairman Sergei Smyr, submitted their resignations. Last Friday, the Abkhaz legislature elected two new members to replace those who had resigned.
