Russia’s KGB rulers have lost another former satellite republic. Voters in Abkhazia, the Black Sea region of northwestern Georgia, elected opposition candidate Sergei Bagapsh as their new president. Mr. Bagapsh received 90% of the vote while his Russian-sponsored challenger, Raul Khadzhimba, received a paltry 10%. According to the BBC,

The vote has been seen as a test for Russia, Abkhazia's main ally, which initially backed Mr Khadzhimba.

Russian newspapers note that, as in Ukraine, the candidate supported by the Kremlin suffered a humiliating defeat despite financial support and the involvement of Russian spin doctors.

Russia’s neo-imperialist pipsqueak ambitions have been foiled again. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, Mother Russia lost Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc., etc. Adding insult to injury, these former Soviet satellite republics have joined the EU and/or NATO. More recently, Russia has lost her influence over Ukraine and Romania.

Poor dictators (e.g., Vladimir Putin). When will they learn?