Prime Minister of Abkhazia

Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia
Incumbent
Alexander Ankvab
since 23 April 2020
ResidenceSukhumi
AppointerAslan Bzhania,
as President of Abkhazia
Inaugural holderGennady Gagulia
Formation26 November 1994

The prime minister of Abkhazia is the de facto head of government of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia, that is de jure part of Georgia.

History[edit]

Government of President Vladislav Ardzinba[edit]

While the presidency was held by one man – Vladislav Ardzinba – from 1994 to 2005, the position of prime minister changed hands a number of times during that time. It was created with the November 1994 adoption of the Constitution of Abkhazia, and Gennady Gagulia was appointed to the position in January 1995.

Government of President Sergei Bagapsh[edit]

After Sergei Bagapsh succeeded Ardzinba to the presidency in February 2005, he appointed Alexander Ankvab as Prime Minister. Ankvab was Bagapsh's vice presidential candidate in the 12 December 2009 presidential election,[1] and as required by law, he was officially suspended from his post on 11 November and his duties were carried out by First Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia.[2] Bagapsh and Ankvab won the election, and on 13 February 2010, Ankvab was succeeded by long-time minister for foreign affairs Sergei Shamba.[3]

Government of President Alexander Ankvab[edit]

After Alexander Ankvab defeated Sergei Shamba in the 2011 presidential election, Leonid Lakerbaia became Prime Minister.

On 2 June 2014, Lakerbaia resigned as a result of the Abkhazian Revolution and Vice Premier Vladimir Delba was appointed acting prime minister.[4]

Government of President Raul Khajimba[edit]

The 2014 presidential election was won by opposition leader Raul Khajimba, who on 29 September 2014 appointed Beslan Butba as the new prime minister.[5] However, there were rumors of Butba's resignation almost since the beginning of his term, explained variously by a power struggle between Butba and Khajimba and by Butba's supposed bad performance as Prime Minister.[6] Butba was finally dismissed by President Khajimba on 16 March 2015, and temporarily replaced by First Vice Premier Shamil Adzynba.[7] In a press conference afterwards, Butba said that he had made Khajimba aware of his intention to resign. He claimed that the presidential administration had taken over many of the responsibilities of the prime minister, creating a 'second government'.[6] On 20 March, Khajimba appointed MP and former United Abkhazia chairman Artur Mikvabia as Butba's successor.[8]

Following a pending motion of no-confidence against him, the storming of the Interior Ministry by opposition activists and a failed referendum to bring about an early presidential election, Mikvabia announced his resignation as Prime Minister on 26 July 2016, accepted on the same day by Khajimba.[9][10] In an interview with Caucasian Knot, Mikvabia stated that the strong unrest in society was being caused by the government's efforts to structurally improve the financial situation of Abkhazia through measures such as the introduction of VAT, that he did not want to work under conditions where society itself hindered development and that he hoped his resignation would defuse tensions.[11] Khajimba again appointed Adzynba as acting prime minister.[10] On 5 August, he appointed newly-appointed presidential administration head Beslan Bartsits as the new Prime Minister.[12]

List of prime ministers of Abkhazia[edit]

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Gennady Gagulia
(1948–2018)
January 1995 29 April 1997 2 years, 3 months Independent
2 Sergei Bagapsh
(1949–2011)
29 April 1997 20 December 1999 2 years, 235 days Independent
3 Viacheslav Tsugba
(born 1944)
20 December 1999 30 May 2001 1 year, 161 days Independent
4 Anri Jergenia
(1941–2020)
7 June 2001 29 November 2002 1 year, 175 days Independent
(1) Gennady Gagulia
(1948–2018)
29 November 2002 8 April 2003 130 days Independent
5 Raul Khajimba
(born 1958)
22 April 2003 6 October 2004 1 year, 167 days Independent
6 Nodar Khashba
(born 1951)
6 October 2004 14 February 2005 131 days United Abkhazia
7 Alexander Ankvab
(born 1952)
14 February 2005 13 February 2010 4 years, 364 days Aitaira
8 Sergei Shamba
(born 1951)
13 February 2010 27 September 2011 1 year, 226 days Independent
9 Leonid Lakerbaia
(born 1947)
27 September 2011 2 June 2014 2 years, 248 days Aitaira
Vladimir Delba
(born 1974)
Acting Prime Minister
2 June 2014 29 September 2014 119 days Independent
10 Beslan Butba
(born 1960)
29 September 2014 17 March 2015 169 days PEDA
Shamil Adzynba
(born 1970)
Acting Prime Minister
17 March 2015 20 March 2015 3 days Independent
11 Artur Mikvabia
(born 1949)
20 March 2015 26 July 2016 1 year, 128 days United Abkhazia
Shamil Adzynba
(born 1970)
Acting Prime Minister
26 July 2016 5 August 2016 10 days Independent
12 Beslan Bartsits
(born 1978)
5 August 2016 25 April 2018 1 year, 263 days Independent
(1) Gennady Gagulia
(1948–2018)
25 April 2018 8 September 2018 136 days Independent
Daur Arshba
(born 1962)
Acting Prime Minister
8 September 2018 18 September 2018 10 days Independent
13 Valeri Bganba
(born 1953)
18 September 2018 23 April 2020 1 year, 218 days Independent
(7) Alexander Ankvab
(born 1952)
23 April 2020 Incumbent 3 years, 341 days Aitaira


Timeline[edit]

Alexander AnkvabValeri BganbaDaur ArshbaGennady GaguliaBeslan BartsitsShamil AdzynbaArtur MikvabiaBeslan ButbaVladimir DelbaLeonid LakerbaiaSergei ShambaNodar KhashbaRaul KhajimbaAnri JergeniaViacheslav TsugbaSergei Bagapsh

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kuchuberia, Anzhela (2009-10-27). Багапш будет баллотироваться в президенты Абхазии в паре с Анквабом (in Russian). Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  2. ^ Выпуск №545-546-547-548 (in Russian). Apsnypress. 2009-11-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  3. ^ Выпуск №69-70 (in Russian). Apsnypress. 13 February 2010. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Исполняющий обязанности президента Абхазии Валерий Бганба ознакомил членов Кабинета министров со своим первым указом". Apsnypress. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Беслан Бутба назначен премьер-министром Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  6. ^ a b Zavodskaya, Elena (16 March 2015). "Дождались". Echo of the Caucasus. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Создано Министерство по курортам и туризму РА". Apsnypress. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Артур Миквабия назначен премьер-министром Абхазии". Apsnypress. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  9. ^ Jopua, Irena (26 July 2016). "Премьер-министр Артур Миквабия заявил о своей отставке". Apsnypress. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Президент подписал Указ об освобождении Артура Миквабия от должности Премьер-министра". Apsnypress. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  11. ^ Gritsevich, Anna (27 July 2016). "Миквабия объяснил свою отставку желанием снизить напряженность в Абхазии". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Беслан Барциц – премьер-министр Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.