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29-407: Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as the second President of Abkhazia from 12 February 2005 until his death on 29 May 2011. He previously served as Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 1997 to 1999. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election . Bagapsh's term as prime minister included the 1998 war with Georgia , while he oversaw both

58-428: A Moscow clinic. Though the growths were successfully removed, Bagapsh died on 29 May due to heart failure that resulted from what was described as "complications" from the surgery. After the surgery, doctors discovered he had cancer. Alexander Ankvab took over as acting president with an election scheduled to be held on 26 August. Abkhaz parliament speaker Nugzar Ashuba told Russian state television that, although

87-644: A curse , following the premature death of Abkhazia's first two presidents, Vladislav Ardzinba and Sergei Bagapsh . MP Daur Arshba claimed that the decision had been taken illegally, without the necessary quorum. On 18 August, the People's Assembly of Abkhazia additionally adopted a bill authored by Said Kharazia and was first proposed by him during the meeting on 16 July, adding the invocation Иа Анцәа Ду, суҳәоит Сыԥсадгьыли сыуаажәлари рымаҵ аураҿы амчи алшареи суҭарц! — Almighty God, give me strength to serve country and people! This article related to

116-477: A cooperation agreement with Russian party United Russia . On 27 January 2009, almost five years after its foundation, United Abkhazia was transformed into a political party. Daur Tarba , who had headed the Ochamchira District before, became the new chairman, Alkhas Kardava First Deputy Chairman and Zurab Kajaia Deputy Chairman. United Abkhazia held its fourth congress on 27 January 2012, which

145-658: A cooperation agreement with fellow opposition parties and a number of social movements, forming the Coordinating Council of Political Parties and Public Organisations . Daur Tarba resigned as Chairman of United Abkhazia on 1 October 2015 in a letter to its political council, in which he identified excessive formalism and a lack of internal political debates, and called for the party's rejuvenation. The political council accepted his resignation and appointed Aleksei Tania as acting chairman. The following day, Tamaz Khashba, Spartak Kapba and Aleksandr Tsyshba, Chairmen of

174-484: A dispute over the results with runner up, former Prime Minister Raul Khadjimba . Bagapsh and Khadjimba agreed to run together on a national unity ticket and won the rerun election in 2005 . Artur Mikvabia , chairman of United Abkhazia since it had first been created, announced 25 July 2007 that he would resign his post and retire from politics, but members of the party stated that they would not accept this, and Mikvabia remained chairman. In 2008, United Abkhazia signed

203-465: A likely opposition candidate in the lead-up to the 2004 presidential election . In early 2004, he became one of three leaders of the newly founded opposition party, United Abkhazia . On 20 July 2004, United Abkhazia joined forces with Amtsakhara , another important opposition party, and the two named him as their joint candidate for the coming October presidential elections, beating out other hopefuls, such as former foreign minister Sergey Shamba . In

232-457: A military conflict erupted between CIS and Georgian insurgent forces. In the subsequent war, sometimes referred to as the "Six-Day War", Abkhazian forces eliminated the insurgents, and 30,000 Georgian civilians fled Abkhazia. From 2000 until 2004, Sergei Bagapsh was the managing director of the Abkhazian state-owned power company Chernomorenergo . During the same period, he began to emerge as

261-399: A national unity ticket. New elections were held on 12 January 2005, with this ticket easily winning. Under the agreement, Bagapsh ran for president and Khajimba ran for vice-president. Following Bagapsh's election, Russia placed an imports ban on Abkhazia, leading to several tangerines destined for Russian markets rotting at the border. The presidential election and subsequent political crisis

290-610: A press conference in Moscow on 18 April 2009, he announced that he would probably make use of his constitutional right to run for a second term. Bagapsh was nominated on 27 October by United Abkhazia , with Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab of Aitaira as his vice presidential candidate. On 18 November, Bagapsh received the additional support of the Communist Party of Abkhazia . In May 2011, cancerous growths were discovered on Bagapsh's lung. On 21 May, Bagapsh underwent surgery in

319-565: A proposal by Mayor Alias Labakhua to rename the Square of the Constitution of the USSR after Bagapsh. President of Abkhazia The president of Abkhazia is the de facto head of state of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia , that is de jure part of Georgia . The position was created in 1994. Before the office of president was created the head of state position

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348-761: The Komsomol . In 1978, Bagapsh became responsible for information in the central committee of the Komsomol's Georgian branch and in 1980, first secretary of the Abkhazian Regional Committee. In 1982, Sergei Bagapsh became secretary general of the Communist Party in the Ochamchira District . After the fall of communism , Bagapsh became a businessman and the representative of the Abkhazian government in Moscow . From 1995 until 1997, Bagapsh

377-719: The Party for the Economic Development of Abkhazia , the Council for the National Unity of the Republic of Abkhazia , uniting political forces neither pro-government nor pro-opposition, which was formally established on 29 February. On 8 July 2016, United Abkhazia signed a cooperation agreement with South Ossetian party United Ossetia . On 5 December 2016, United Abkhazia's political council deliberated about

406-526: The politics of Abkhazia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . United Abkhazia It entered into an alliance with the Amtsakhara and Aitaira movements and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and they named former Prime Minister Sergei Bagapsh as their joint candidate on July 20, 2004. Bagapsh won the elections by a small margin, but new elections were held because of

435-636: The recognition of Abkhazia by Russia and the Russo-Georgian War during his presidency. Born in 1949 in Sukhumi , Bagapsh became a businessman following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , as well as a representative of Abkhazian interests in Russia. Bagapsh became Prime Minister of Abkhazia in 1997, overseeing a brief, but successful, war with Georgia during a high point of tensions and

464-540: The Presidential oath the phrase: Жәлар рылахь соуааит иҧшьоу абри ахақәкы сацәхьаҵны саныҟала — If I deviate from this path, then let me be punished by my people During a meeting on 16 July 2014, following the Abkhazian Revolution , Parliament decided to restore this phrase. According to Vice Speaker Emma Gamisonia , the decision to remove the phrase had been taken because it was perceived as

493-469: The Tquarchal, Ochamchira and Gagra regional branches reacted to the announcement by also resigning. On 27 January 2016, United Abkhazia held its sixth congress, which was attended by 375 delegates. It elected MP and former Prime Minister Sergei Shamba as its chairman, as well as MP Robert Yaylyan , jurist Viktor Vasiliev and Dato Kajaia as deputy chairmen and 43 members of its political council. It

522-596: The country's recognition by Russia, widespread investment by Russian businesses and pressure to privatise assets drew both support and criticism. Bagapsh successfully won a second term against Khajimba before dying of heart failure on 29 May 2011, due to complications from a surgery to remove cancerous growths on his lung. Sergei Bagapsh was born on 4 March 1949 at Sukhumi in the Georgian SSR . Throughout most of his life, he had lived in Abkhazia. In his youth, Bagapsh

551-401: The country, particularly in real estate, infrastructure, and energy. Pressure began mounting on Bagapsh from Russian sources to hasten economic privatisation in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics , while Abkhazian political opponents accused him of selling off Abkhazian assets. Bagapsh first addressed the matter of his candidacy in the 12 December 2009 presidential election when, during

580-496: The death was completely unexpected, the situation remains calm. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev offered his condolences saying: "Bagapsh was a loyal supporter of friendship and alliance with Russia, and he tirelessly worked to deepen close bilateral ties between our countries." A state commission was installed to perpetuate the memory of Sergei Bagapsh. On 26 January 2012, the City Council of Sukhumi unanimously accepted

609-532: The displacement of 30,000 Georgian civilians. In 2004, Bagapsh founded the United Abkhazia party in opposition to then-President Vladislav Ardzinba . The same year, Bagapsh ran for President against Raul Khajimba , Ardzinba's choice, and originally was forecast as losing to Khajimba. A political crisis followed, with the Supreme Court of Abkhazia declaring Bagapsh the winner and protests against

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638-573: The election both by supporters of Bagapsh and Khajimba. The two eventually ran on a national unity ticket, with Bagapsh becoming President and Khajimba becoming Vice President in 2005. As President, Bagapsh lobbied for the international recognition of Abkhazia, eventually receiving recognition from Russia in 2008 following the successful capture of the Kodori Valley in the Russo-Georgian War by Russian and Abkhazian forces. Following

667-566: The elections, Bagapsh and his main opponent, Raul Khajimba , disputed the results. The Abkhaz Electoral Commission originally declared Khajimba to be the winner, with Bagapsh a distant second, but the Supreme Court later found that Bagapsh had actually won with 50.3% of the vote. The court then reversed its decision when Khajimba's supporters stormed the court building. At one point, Bagapsh and his supporters threatened to hold their own inauguration on 6 December 2004. However, in early December, Bagapsh and Khajimba reached an agreement to run together on

696-529: Was First Deputy Prime Minister of Abkhazia. On 9 November 1995, Bagapsh was seriously wounded in an attack. Sergei Bagapsh was appointed to the office of Prime Minister of Abkhazia on 29 April 1997. Georgian-Abkhazian tensions during Bagapsh's term in office reached a height in May 1998, following attacks by Georgian insurgents on peacekeeping forces from the Commonwealth of Independent States . Subsequently,

725-593: Was a member of the Georgian basketball team . Bagapsh graduated from the Georgian State University of Subtropical Agriculture in Sukhumi. During his studies he worked first, in a wine cooperative and later as a security guard for the state bank. In 1972, he fulfilled his military service, worked as the head of a sovkhoz following which he became instructor with the Abkhazian regional committee of

754-458: Was attended by 359 delegates, and during which 11 candidates for the upcoming Parliamentary elections were chosen (the maximum number allowed). At its fifth congress, held on 12 June 2013 and attended by 330 delegates, United Abkhazia decided to pass into the opposition, with Tarba stating that President Ankvab, whose candidacy the party had supported in 2011, had failed to deliver meaningful achievements. On 10 July 2013, United Abkhazia signed

783-631: Was known as the chairman of Parliament between 1992 and the creation of the 1994 constitution . Before the position of Chairman of Parliament, the highest office in Abkhazia was the chairman of the Supreme Soviet . The post would last from the declaration of sovereignty from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic on 25 August 1990 until the outright declaration of independence on 23 July 1992. During Alexander Ankvab's presidency, Parliament decided to scrap from

812-512: Was said in the sidelines of the congress that Tarba had stepped down so as to make room for his long-time friend Shamba. During the congress, some speakers criticised the government and on 9 February, United Abkhazia announced that it was leaving the Coordinating Council of Political Parties and Public Organisations, claiming that its role had been marginalised by the government. United Abkhazia proceeded to initiate, together with

841-677: Was termed by some, including the BBC, as the "Tangerine Revolution", both as a reference to the Rose Revolution in Georgia the year prior and Abkhazia's tangerines. In August 2008, the Russo-Georgian War began following the 2008 Russo-Georgian diplomatic crisis . Following the war, Abkhazia gained control over the Kodori Valley , as well as recognition by Russia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Following Russia's recognition of Abkhaz independence, Russian businesses began to invest extensively within

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