Abkhazia elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five term by the people. The People's Assembly has 35 members, elected for a five-year term in single seat constituencies. Abkhazia is a one party dominant state. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power. The last elections seems to show a development towards a multi-party system.
On 28 February 1996 Abkhazia's Parliament adopted a referendum law according to which referendums may be initiated by Parliament, by the President or by a group of citizens who have collected at least 10,000 signatures. Since then, Abkhazia has held one referendum in 1999 to approve its constitution and declaration of independence.
2012 parliamentary elections
In early March the 35 seats of Parliament were contested by 150 candidates. It was monitored by some NGOs from countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as by a delegation from Tuvalu.