Parliamentary elections were held in Abkhazia on 2 March 2002 to elect the third convocation of the People's Assembly. The elections had originally been scheduled for 24 November 2001, but had to be postponed due to the October 2001 Chechen incursion into the lower Kodori Valley. Candidates supporting President Vladislav Ardzinba won all 35 seats.
All candidates were nominated by initiative groups. Initially, 106 initiative groups registered with the Central Election Commission, but only 100 completed the necessary paperwork. Of the 100 nominated candidates, only 89 agreed to run. The Central Election Commission refused to register fourteen candidates on the ground that some of their collected signatures were supposedly forged, seven of which appealed the decision with the Supreme Court. In four cases, the court confirmed the Commission's decision, while in the cases of outgoing Vice Speaker Ruslan Kharabua, Givi Gabnia and Anatoli Khashba, it ordered further investigation by experts. The court eventually ruled in favour of Khashba, and he was registered as a candidate.
On 26 February, Aitaira held an extraordinary congress at which it called for the elections to be declared invalid and for new elections to be organised at a later date, due to various violations favouring pro-government candidates and the refusal of the Central Election Commission to register eight of its candidates. In contrast, Apsny and Amtsakhara called for the elections to go through as planned. Fourteen candidates withdrew in protest: Irina Agrba, Izida Chania, Iakub Lakoba, Dalila Pilia, Viktor Bartsyts, Vadim Smyr, Leonid Lakerbaia, Roman Geria, Zurab Otyrba, Appolon Shinkuba, Oleg Damenia, Valeri Bigvava, Gennadi Alamia and Natella Akaba. In addition, Vladimir Mukba withdrew for family reasons and Aiba Azaret in favour of Sergei Dbar.