Sergei Bagapsh

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Sergei Uasyl-ipa BagapshTemplate:Efn (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 the recognition of Abkhazia by Russia and the Russo-Georgian War during his presidency.Template:Citation needed

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 the displacement of 30,000 Georgian civilians. In 2004, Bagapsh founded the United Abkhazia party in opposition to then-President Vladislav Ardzinba.Template:Citation needed

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 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.Template:Citation needed

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 the country's recognition by Russia, widespread investment by Russian businesses and pressure to privatise assets drew both support and criticism. Bagapsh 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.Template:Citation needed

Early life and careerEdit

Sergei Bagapsh was born on 4 March 1949 at Sukhumi in the Georgian SSR. Throughout most of his life, he had lived in Abkhazia.<ref name=caucaz/> In his youth, Bagapsh was a member of the Georgian basketball team.<ref name="newcaucasus2721">Template:Cite news</ref> 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 the Komsomol.Template:Citation needed

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.<ref name="caucaz">Template:Cite news</ref> From 1995 until 1997, Bagapsh was First Deputy Prime Minister of Abkhazia. On 9 November 1995, Bagapsh was seriously wounded in an attack.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Prime ministerEdit

Sergei Bagapsh was appointed to the office of Prime Minister of Abkhazia on 29 April 1997.Template:Citation needed

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, 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.<ref name="ArmyandSociety">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2004 presidential electionEdit

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File:Dmitry Medvedev 17 September 2008-1.jpg

Bagapsh (on left) shaking hands with Dmitry Medvedev and Eduard Kokoity in September 2008 following Russia's recognition of Abkhazia

From 2000 until 2004, Sergei Bagapsh was the managing director of the Abkhazian state-owned power company Chernomorenergo.<ref name=dcivil> Template:Cite news</ref> During the same period, he began to emerge as 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed

Bagapsh and his main opponent, Raul Khajimba, disputed the election result. 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 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 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 for vice-president.Template:Citation needed

Following Bagapsh's election, Russia placed an imports ban on Abkhazia, leading to several tangerines destined for Russian markets rotting at the border.<ref name=":0" /> The presidential election and subsequent political crisis 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Recognition of Abkhazia by RussiaEdit

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following Russia's recognition of Abkhaz independence, Russian businesses began to invest extensively within 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.<ref name=":0" />

2009 Presidential electionEdit

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Bagapsh first addressed the matter of his candidacy in the 12 December 2009 presidential election when, during 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.<ref name="agov17300">Template:Cite news</ref> Bagapsh was nominated on 27 October by United Abkhazia, with Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab of Aitaira as his vice presidential candidate.<ref name="uzel161241">Template:Cite news</ref> On 18 November, Bagapsh received the additional support of the Communist Party of Abkhazia.<ref name="apress091118">Template:Cite news</ref>

DeathEdit

File:Sergey Bagapsh memorial Moscow-3.jpeg

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pays his respects to Bagapsh at a service in Moscow on 30 May 2011.

In May 2011, cancerous growths were discovered on Bagapsh's lung. On 21 May, Bagapsh underwent surgery in 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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the surgery, doctors discovered he had cancer.<ref name=Carbonnel>Template:Cite news</ref> Alexander Ankvab took over as acting president with an election scheduled to be held on 26 August.Template:Citation needed

ReactionsEdit

Abkhaz parliament speaker Nugzar Ashuba told Russian state television that, although the death was completely unexpected, the situation remains calm.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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."<ref name=Carbonnel/>

LegacyEdit

File:Sergey Bagapsh 2006 stamp of Abkhazia.jpg

Bagapsh on a 2006 stamp of Abkhazia

A state commission was installed to perpetuate the memory of Sergei Bagapsh. On 26 January 2012, the City Council of Sukhumi unanimously accepted a proposal by Mayor Alias Labakhua to rename the Square of the Constitution of the USSR after Bagapsh.<ref name=apress5275>Template:Cite news</ref>