The Government of President Raul Khajimba was the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia from 2014 until 2020.
President | Raul Khajimba 25 September 2014 – 12 January 2020 | Valery Bganba 13 January – 24 April 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Vice President | Vitali Gabnia 25 September 2014 – 22 August 2018 | Aslan Bartsits 9 October 2019 – 12 January 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Head of the Presidential Administration | Astamur Tania 29 September 2014 – 6 May 2016 | Dmitri Shamba May 2016 | Beslan Bartsits 16 May 2016 – 5 August 2016 | Dmitri Shamba 5 August – 10 October 2016 | Daur Arshba 10 October 2016 – 24 April 2018 | Beslan Bartsits 25 April 2018 – 24 April 2020 | |||||||||||
Secretary of the Security Council | Mukhamed Kilba 28 October 2014 – 21 January 2020 | Beslan Kvitsinia 22 January 2020 – 28. července 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Head of the State Security Service | Zurab Margania 29 September 2014 – 12 May 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Cabinet leadership: | |||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Beslan Butba 29 September 2014 – 16 March 2015 | Shamil Adzynba 16 – 20 March 2015 | Artur Mikvabia 20 March 2015 – 26 July 2016 | Shamil Adzynba 26 July – 5 August 2016 | Beslan Bartsits 5 August 2016 – 24 April 2018 | Gennady Gagulia 24 April – 8 September 2018 | Daur Aršba 9 – 18 September 2018 | Valery Bganba 18 September 2018 – 24 April 2020 | |||||||||
First Vice Premier | Shamil Adzynba 15 October 2014 – 15 August 2016 | Daur Arshba 24 April 2018 – 20 January 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Vice Premier(s) | Viktor Khilchevski 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015 | Dmitri Serikov 8 April 2015 – 30 April 2018 | Djansukh Nanba 30 April 2018 – 30 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Suren Kerselyan 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015 | Beslan Eshba 12 August 2016 – 23 January 2018 | Roman Shoua 30 April 2018 – 28 October 2019 | Adgur Ardzinba 28 October 2019 – 4 May 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Aslan Kobakhia 16 August 2016 – 12 October 2017? | Astamur Ketsba 30 April 2018 – 28 October 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
Chief of the Cabinet Staff | Leila Dzyba 22 October 2014 – 2015 | Diana Pilia 26 May 2015 – 10 February 2017 | Zurab Marshania 10 February – 4 September 2017 | David Sangulia 4 September 2017 – 22 July 2020 | |||||||||||||
Ministers: | |||||||||||||||||
Internal Affairs | Raul Lolua 15 October 2014 – 14 May 2015 | Beslan Khagba 14 May – 9 October 2015 | Leonid Dzapshba 9 October 2015 – 16 August 2016 | Aslan Kobakhia 16 August 2016 – 12 October 2017 | Garri Arshba 12 October 2017 – 2 December 2019 | Levan Kvaratskhelia 2 – 4 December 2019 | Raul Smyr 4 December 2019 – 30 April 2020 | ||||||||||
Health since 9 October 2019: Health and Social Security | David Gunba 15 – 28 October 2014 | Andzor Goov 28 October 2014 – 5 June 2017 | Tamaz Tsakhnakia 5 June 2017 – 29 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Foreign Affairs | Viacheslav Chirikba 17 October 2014 – 20 September 2016 | Oleg Arshba – 4 September October 2016 | Daur Kove 4 October 2016 – 15 July 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Culture and the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage | Elvira Arsalia 15 October 2014 – 5 June 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Defence | Mirab Kishmaria 15 October 2014 – 1 June 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Education, Science, Sports and Youth Policy since 30 March 2015: Education and Science | Adgur Kakoba 15 October 2014 – 19 June 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Agriculture | Rafik Otyrba 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015 | Timur Eshba 8 April 2015 – 24 August 2016 | Daur Tarba 24 August 2016–present | ||||||||||||||
Labour, Employment and Social Security | Suren Kerselyan 15 October 2014 – 23 August 2016 | Ruslan Ajba 23 August 2016 – 28 October 2019 | |||||||||||||||
Finance | Amra Kvarandzia 17 October 2014 – 12 August 2016 | Dmitri Serikov 12 August 2016 – 30 April 2018 | Djansukh Nanba 30 April 2018 – 28 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Economy | Nikolai Achba 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015 | Adgur Ardzinba 8 April 2015 – 4 May 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Justice | Marina Pilia 17 October 2014 – 6 July 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Emergency Situations | Lev Kvitsinia 17 October 2014 – 29 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Energy, Transport and Communications | Viktor Khilchevski 15 October 2014 – 30 March 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
Resorts and Tourism | Avtandil Gartskia 13 March 2015 – 28 October 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
Taxes and Duties | Rauf Tsimtsba 8 April 2015 – 1 November 2016 | Daur Kurmazia 1 November 2016 – 30 April 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Demography and Repatriation | Beslan Dbar 31 October 2019 – 29 April 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Chairmen of State Committees: | |||||||||||||||||
Repatriation | Khrips Jopua 21 October 2014 – 11 April 2015 | Vadim Kharazia 11 April 2015 – 28 October 2019 | |||||||||||||||
Ecology and the Environment | Saveli Chitanava 21 October 2014 – 28 October 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
Resorts and Tourism | Avtandil Gartskia 31 October 2019 – 12 May 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Agriculture | Amiran Kakalia 31 October 2019 – 19 June 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
Standards, Consumer and Technical Supervision | Erik Rshtuni 23 October 2014 – 1 November 2016 | Akhra Pachkoria 1 November 2016 – 6 November 2019 | Garik Samanba 6 November 2019 – 27 May 2020 | ||||||||||||||
Customs | Daur Kobakhia 21 October 2014 – 28 October 2019 | Guram Inapshba 28 October 2019 – 22 July 2020 | |||||||||||||||
State Property Management and Privatisation | Konstantin Katsia 23 October 2014 – 30 August 2016 | Vakhtang Pipia 30 August 2016 – 22 July 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Youth Policy since 16 January 2020: Youth Policy and Sports | Alias Avidzba 11 April 2015 – 12 September 2017 | Teimuraz Kvekveskiri 12 September 2017 – 16 January 2020 | Idris Kara-Osman-ogly 16 – 30 January 2020 | Mikhail Pikanin 30 January – 21 May 2020 | |||||||||||||
Physical Culture and Sports | Bagrat Khutaba 11 April 2015 – 16 January 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
State Language Policy | Nurbei Lomia 5 September 2016 – 6 November 2019 | Batal Khagush 6 November 2019 – 19 June 2020 | |||||||||||||||
Statistics | Kama Gogia 6 November 2019 – 20 May 2020 |
President Raul Khajimba and Vice President Vitali Gabnia were elected on 24 August 2014 after the resignation of previous President Alexander Ankvab, and sworn in on 25 September 2014. Khajimba had led the opposition during the May Revolution against Ankvab. After Ankvab's resignation on 1 June, Speaker of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia Valeri Bganba had been Acting President. During the election, Khajimba competed with State Security Service chairman Aslan Bzhania, Defence Minister Mirab Kishmaria and former Interior Minister Leonid Dzapshba. Vitali Gabnia was chairman of the veterans' movement Aruaa before his election.
On 29 September, Khajimba appointed as prime minister fellow opposition leader Beslan Butba, who had already become Acting Vice Premier following Ankvab's resignation. [1] Khajimba tasked Butba with the formation of the cabinet, which took place over the course of October. Also on 29 September, Khajimba appointed Zurab Margania as Chairman of the State Security Service and Astamur Tania as Head of the Presidential Administration. Margania had previously been deputy chairman, leading the Border Guard, and Tania had been appointed acting Head of the Presidential Administration following Ankvab's resignation. [2] [3]
On 15 October, Khajimba approved the structure of the new cabinet. The decree scrapped one Vice Premier, one Ministry – Taxes and Duties, henceforth the State Tax Service – and two State Committees – Resorts and Tourism, merged into the Ministry of Economy, and Youth and Sport, merged into the Ministry of Education. It also created one new Ministry – Energy, Transport and Communications, created from the State Administration for Transport – and one new State Committee – Standards, Consumer and Technical Supervision, created from the State Administration for Standards, Metrology and Certification. It also reconfirmed the Ministry of Emergency Situations, originally created on 21 July. Two Ministries and one State Committee that were expanded and one Ministry that wasn't were accordingly renamed: the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Youth Policy, the Ministry of Culture and the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security and the State Committee for Ecology and the Environment (previously and Nature). [4]
Also on 15 October, Khajimba appointed the new Vice Premiers and most Ministers, followed by the final four ministers on 17 October, three Heads of State Committees and a number of lower officials on 21 October and the final two Heads of State Committees on 23 October. Of the Cabinet members appointed by Ankvab, only Defence Minister Mirab Kishmaria (who was also a presidential candidate), Foreign Minister Viacheslav Chirikba, Repatriation State Committee Head Khrips Jopua and Property Management and Privatisation State Committee Head Konstantin Katsia retained their post. Moreover, Interior Minister Raul Lolua and Emergency Situations Minister Lev Kvitsinia, who had entered the government as Acting Ministers after Ankvab's resignation, were permanently appointed by Khajimba. The 2011 vice presidential candidate Shamil Adzynba was appointed First Vice Premier, former Vice Premier Viktor Khilchevski Vice Premier and Minister for Energy, Transport and Communications, Suren Kerselyan Vice Premier and Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Rafik Otyrba Agriculture Minister, Nikolai Achba Economy Minister, Adgur Kakoba Minister for Education, Science, Sports and Youth Policy, Elvira Arsalia Minister for Culture and the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage, David Gunba Health Minister, Amra Kvarandzia Finance Minister, Marina Pilia Justice Minister, Saveli Chitanava Head of the State Committee for Ecology and Nature Conservation, Daur Kobakhia Head of the State Customs Committee and Erik Rshtuni Head of the State Committee for Standards, Consumer and Technical Supervision. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
On 22 October, Khajimba appointed Leila Dzyba as the new Chief of the Cabinet Staff. [11] On 28 October, he appointed Mukhamed Kilba as Secretary of the Security Council. [12]
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.
The office of Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia was created on 17 May 1993, during the 1992–1993 war with Georgia. Due to the diplomatic isolation of Abkhazia, which remains widely unrecognised, the role of the foreign minister has been restricted mostly to negotiations over resolving the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. Empirical data nevertheless show that Abkhazia's Foreign Ministry also enacts diplomatic relations, such as the sending of diplomatic notes, with various countries across the world, including Nauru, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Syria. It is also active in managing relations with other post-Soviet de facto states such as South Ossetia, Transnistria, and the Lugansk People's Republic.
Sergei Shamba is a senior politician from Abkhazia. He is currently a member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia and Chairman of United Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister of Abkhazia under President Sergei Bagapsh from 13 February 2010 until 27 September 2011. Between 1997 and 2010 he had been Minister for Foreign Affairs under both Bagapsh and his predecessor Vladislav Ardzinba, with only a half-year interruption in 2004. Shamba has twice unsuccessfully participated in presidential elections, in 2004 and 2011. He has been a staunch proponent for dialogue between Abkhazia and Georgia.
Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a border with Krasnodar Krai of Russia. Its capital is Gagra, the town by the same name. The population of the Gagra town zone in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia,, to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.
Daur Tarba is the current Minister for Agriculture of Abkhazia. In the past, he has also been Chairman of United Abkhazia at a time when it was the ruling party, Vice Premier and head of the Ochamchira District.
Beslan Butba is a businessman and a former Prime Minister of Abkhazia. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia. Butba was an unsuccessful candidate in the December 2009 presidential election.
The Government of President Sergei Bagapsh was the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia from 2005 until 2011.
The Government of President Vladislav Ardzinba was the first Government of the Republic of Abkhazia.
The Government of President Alexander Ankvab was the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia from 2011 until 2014.
Leonid Yurivich Dzapshba is a two-time Minister for Internal Affairs of Abkhazia, a former Presidential candidate and the former head of the Football Federation of Abkhazia.
Viacheslav Chirikba is a linguist and politician from Abkhazia. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia between 2011 and 2016.
The Abkhazian Revolution took place in 2014, when President Aleksandr Ankvab resigned after hundreds of demonstrators stormed his office. After mass protests in the capital Sukhumi and the occupation of his office on 27 May, Ankvab fled to his hometown of Gudauta and ultimately resigned on 1 June, after previously denouncing the demonstration as an attempted coup d'état.
The Minister for Internal Affairs holds a ministerial position in the government of the Republic of Abkhazia. The post existed in the Soviet period within the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and since then has been occupied by 10 politicians, of whom three have occupied it twice. The current Minister is Aslan Kobakhia.
Rauf Aslanovich Tsimtsba was the third Minister for Taxes and Fees of Abkhazia, serving between 2011 and 2016 in the Governments of President Bagapsh, President Ankvab and President Khajimba. Tsimtsba was originally appointed on 4 April 2011 by Sergei Bagapsh to succeed Vakhtang Pipia, who had been appointed Vice Premier on 30 March. Before that, Tsimtsba had headed the Department for the Taxation of Legal Entities within the ministry. Following the Death of Bagapsh one month later and the election of Alexander Ankvab, Tsimtsba was re-appointed on 11 October.
Shamil Adzynba is the current First Vice Premier of Abkhazia in the Government of President Khajimba, and a two-time acting Prime Minister.
Suren Kerselyan is a former Vice Premier and Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security of Abkhazia. Kerselyan was appointed as Vice Premier and Labour Minister on 15 October 2014 by newly elected President Raul Khajimba, in the cabinet of Prime Minister Beslan Butba. After Butba was replaced as Prime Minister by Artur Mikvabia, Kerselyan was replaced as Vice Premier by Dmitri Serikov on 8 April 2015.
Konstantin Katsia is a former Chairman of the State Committee for State Property Management and Privatisation of Abkhazia.
Aslan Kobakhia is one of three current Vice Premiers and the current Minister for Internal Affairs of Abkhazia.
Daur Arshba is an Abkhazian politician. He is the Head of the Presidential Administration, having been appointed by President Raul Khajimba on 10 October 2016, and Chairman of the pro-government Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia. In the past, he has served as Vice Speaker of the People's Assembly and as Head of Tkvarcheli District. Following the death of Gennadi Gagulia on 8 September 2018, Arshba was appointed Acting Prime Minister of Abkhazia, a position he held until 18 September 2018.
The Government of President Aslan Bzhania is the current Government of the Republic of Abkhazia.