Sergei Bagapsch

Sergei Bagapsch (2008)

Signature of Sergei Bagapsch

Sergei Bagapsh ( Abkhaz Сергеи Уасыл-иҧа Багаҧшь / Sergei Bagapsh Uassyl-ipa, Russian Сергей Васильевич Багапш / Sergei Vasilyevich Bagapsh; * 4. March 1949 in Sukhumi , Abkhaz ASSR , Georgian SSR , Soviet Union ; † 29. May 2011 in Moscow ) was an Abkhazian politician . From April 1997 to June 1999 he was Prime Minister of the government of Abkhazia, from February 12, 2005 until his death he was President of the partially recognized republic .

Life

During his student days he worked on a vineyard and was a debt collection employee at the state bank. He graduated from the Georgian University of Sub-Tropical Agriculture as an agronomist . In 1972 he was head of the plant cultivation department of a Moscow sovkhose for essential oil plants , served in the Soviet army and began his political career in the communist youth organization Komsomol in Abkhazia. Initially working as an instructor for the Abkhazian regional committee, in 1978 he became deputy section head for information as well as department head for the young workers and peasants of the Central Committee of the Komsomol of the Georgian SSR. In 1980 he returned to Abkhazia as First Secretary of the Komsomol Oblast Committee. In 1982 he became First Secretary of the Communist Party in Ochamtschire Rajon .

In the 1990s he was the permanent representative of Abkhazia in Moscow , in 1992 first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Abkhaz ASSR, then in 1993 of the Republic of Abkhazia and in 1995 the first deputy prime minister of Abkhazia. On April 27, 1997, President Vladislav Ardsinba appointed him Prime Minister of Abkhazia. During his term of office, the "Six Day War" with Georgia fell in 1998. As a result of the conflict, around 30,000 Georgians who had returned to their Abkhazian homeland were again expelled. 1,695 houses occupied by them were burned down. After retiring in June 1999, he was General Director of the state energy company Chernomorenergo until 2004 .

In 2004 he was a presidential candidate of the opposition party United Abkhazia and the war veterans organization Amtsachara , later also of the Aitaria party (German rebirth ).

On January 12, 2005 he was elected President of Abkhazia. The election was preceded by a fake election on October 3, 2004, in which former Prime Minister Raul Hadschimba was declared the winner. However, sustained protests by the opposition resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that the election had to be repeated in January. Bagapsch received 91.54 percent of the votes cast, his opponent Jakob Lakoba 4.5 percent.

As president, Bagapsch wanted to dedicate himself above all to the fight against corruption and crime .

Bagapsch was married to the Georgian Marina Schonia, born in the Abkhazian district of Gali . They had two children together, son Zurab and daughter Liana. He died in late May 2011 as a result of lung surgery after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Web links

Commons : Sergei Bagapsch  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website of the Abkhazian President (Abkhaz, Russian, Turkish, English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13587660