Elections in Abkhazia
Abkhazia elects on national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. The People's Assembly has 35 members, elected for a five-year term in single seat constituencies. 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 two referendums in 1999 to approve its constitution and declaration of independence, and  one in 2016 to hold early presidential elections, but it was declared invalid due to low voter turnout. 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.