According to the article published in „Российская газета“ on February 5, 2019, the Abkhazian Public Chamber, in cooperation with the Russian Public Chamber and the Foundation of Democratic Problems Research, conducted a sociological survey – „Abkhazia-2008: Socio-Political Processes and Problems Affecting the Population“. According to the survey, the top rating future leader of Abkhazia is Inal Ardzinba - well-known to Russian political circles.

Inal Ardzinba is the Chairman of the Youth Affairs Council under Patriarch Kirill of Russia and the former Head of the Russian Presidential Administration. He is backed by Vladislav Surkov, the curator to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region in the Kremlin and personally knows the Russian President. Despite his youth, at the Presidential Administration he was considered to be very influential and hard-working official. There is speculation that some groups in Russia are lobbying for Ardzinba in Abkhaz politics.