Authorities in Georgia's breakaway Black Sea region of Abkhazia said fewer than half of the legislative seats were filled as a result of the first round of parliamentary elections on March 10.
The Central Election Commission in the disputed region said 13 candidates won a majority of votes needed to win a seat. Turnout was about 44 percent.
Nearly 150 candidates were running for the legislature's 35 seats.
A second-round runoff vote for the remaining 22 election districts is scheduled for March 24.
Georgia says the polls are illegitimate because they are being held under Kremlin "occupation" -- a reference to the thousands of Russian troops stationed in Abkhazia since the Georgia-Russia war of 2008.
Moscow recognized Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia as independent states after the 2008 war.
The Central Election Commission in the disputed region said 13 candidates won a majority of votes needed to win a seat. Turnout was about 44 percent.
Nearly 150 candidates were running for the legislature's 35 seats.
A second-round runoff vote for the remaining 22 election districts is scheduled for March 24.
Georgia says the polls are illegitimate because they are being held under Kremlin "occupation" -- a reference to the thousands of Russian troops stationed in Abkhazia since the Georgia-Russia war of 2008.
Moscow recognized Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia as independent states after the 2008 war.
