Government of President Khajimba

The Government of President Raul Khajimba is the current Government of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Composition

President	Raul Khajimba 25 September 2014 – present
Vice President	Vitali Gabnia 25 September 2014 – present
Head of the Presidential Administration	Astamur Tania 29 September 2014 – present
Secretary of the Security Council	Mukhamed Kilba 28 October 2014 – present
Head of the State Security Service	Zurab Margania 29 September 2014 – present
Cabinet leadership:
Prime Minister	Beslan Butba 29 September 2014 – 16 March 2015		Shamil Adzynba 16 – 20 March 2015	Artur Mikvabia 20 March – present
First Vice Premier	Shamil Adzynba 15 October 2014 – present
Vice Premier(s)	Viktor Khilchevski 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015			Dmitri Serikov 8 April 2015 – present
	Suren Kerselyan 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015
Chief of the Cabinet Staff	Leila Dzyba 22 October 2014 – 2015				Diana Pilia 26 May 2015 – present
Ministers:
Internal Affairs	Raul Lolua 15 October 2014 – 14 May 2015				Beslan Khagba 14 May – 9 October 2015	Leonid Dzapshba 9 October 2015 – present
Health	David Gunba 15 – 28 October 2014	Andzor Goov 28 October 2014 – present
Foreign Affairs	Viacheslav Chirikba 17 October 2014 – present
Culture and the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage	Elvira Arsalia 15 October 2014 – present
Defence	Mirab Kishmaria 15 October 2014 – present
Education, Science, Sports and Youth Policy since 30 March 2015: Education and Science	Adgur Kakoba 15 October 2014 – present
Agriculture	Rafik Otyrba 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015			Timur Eshba 8 April 2015 – present
Labour, Employment and Social Security	Suren Kerselyan 15 October 2014 – present
Finance	Amra Kvarandzia 17 October 2014 – present
Economy	Nikolai Achba 15 October 2014 – 8 April 2015			Adgur Ardzinba 8 April 2015 – present
Justice	Marina Pilia 17 October 2014 – present
Emergency Situations	Lev Kvitsinia 17 October 2014 – present
Energy, Transport and Communications	Viktor Khilchevski 15 October 2014 – 30 March 2015
Resorts and Tourism			Avtandil Gartskia 13 March 2015 – present
Taxes and Duties				Rauf Tsimtsba 8 April 2015 – present
Chairmen of State Committees:
Repatriation	Khrips Jopua 21 October 2014 – 11 April 2015			Vadim Kharazia 11 April 2015 – present
Ecology and the Environment	Saveli Chitanava 21 October 2014 – present
Standards, Consumer and Technical Supervision	Erik Rshtuni 23 October 2014 – present
Customs	Daur Kobakhia 21 October 2014 – present
State Property Management and Privatisation	Konstantin Katsia 23 October 2014 – present
Youth Policy				Alias Avidzba 11 April 2015 – present
Physical Culture and Sports				Bagrat Khutaba 11 April 2015 – present

Formation

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. 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]

Changes

• Shortly after his appointment, Health Minister David Gunba confessed to Prime Minister Butba and President Khajimba that he did not feel up to the task. On 28 October 2014, Khajimba appointed Adzor Goov in his stead.^[13]
• On 13 March, President Khajimba carved the Ministry for Resorts and Tourism out of the Ministry for Economy, and appointed Avtandil Gartskia as Minister, who had for some months been acting Security Council Secretary following the ouster of President Ankvab.^[14]
• On 16 March, President Khajimba dismissed Prime Minister Butba and appointed First Vice Premier Adzynba as Acting Prime Minister.^[15] 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'. There had been 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.^[16] On 20 March, Khajimba appointed MP and former United Abkhazia Chairman Artur Mikvabia as Butba's successor.^[17] On 30 March, Khajimba approved the new cabinet structure, on 8 April he appointed Ministers and on 11 April Chairmen of the State Committees. The number of Vice Premiers was reduced from two to one, with Aquafon Deputy Director General of Operations Dmitri Serikov replacing Suren Kerselyan, who remained Labour Minister, and Viktor Khilchevski, who did not return as Minister, as the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Communications was abolished. The Ministry for Taxes and Duties was re-established and Rauf Tsimtsba, who had already been Minister under Alexander Ankvab, was re-appointed. The policy areas of Youth and Sport were transferred from the Ministry of Education and Science to two separate State Committees, headed by Alias Avidzba and Bagrat Khutaba, respectively. Finally, Rafik Otyrba was replaced as Agriculture Minister by former Gulripshi District Governor Timur Eshba, Nikolai Achba as Economy Minister by Adgur Ardzinba and Khrips Jopua as Repatriation State Committee Chairman by Vadim Kharazia.^[18][19][20]
• In May, following two confrontations between police officers and members of the State Security Service, Interior Minister Raul Lolua handed in his resignation.^[21] It was accepted by President Khajimba on the evening of 14 May, and he appointed former Gagra District Prosecutor Beslan Khagba as Logua's successor.^[22][23]
• On 26 May, Khajimba appointed Diana Pilia as Head of the Cabinet Staff.^[24]
• On 9 October, Khajimba dismissed Interior Minister Khagba, and appointed Leonid Dzapshba, who had already held the post from 2010 to 2011 under President Sergei Bagapsh and who had scored a 3.4% fourth place in the 2014 Presidential election.^[25][26]

References

1. "Беслан Бутба назначен премьер-министром Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
2. "Зураб Маргания назначен председателем СГБ РА". Apsnypress. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
3. "Астамур Тания назначенруководителемАдминистрации президента Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
4. Khajimba, Raul (15 October 2014). "Утверждена структура Кабинета Министров Республики Абхазия". Office of information and mass-media of the President of the Republic of Abkhazia. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
5. "Назначены вице-премьеры правительства". Apsnypress. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
6. "Указы о назначении министров". Apsnypress. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
7. "Указами президента назначены министры иностранных дел, юстиции, по чрезвычайным ситуациям и финансов". Apsnypress. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
8. "Президент назначил руководителей центральных органов государственного управления Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
9. "У к а з «О председателе Государственного комитета Республики Абхазия по управлению государственным имуществом и приватизации»". Apsnypress. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
10. "У к а з «О председателе Государственного комитета Республики Абхазия по стандартам, потребительскому и техническому надзору»". Apsnypress. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
11. "Лейла Дзыба – руководитель аппарата Кабинета Министров.". Apsnypress. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
12. "У К А З «О секретаре Совета безопасности Республики Абхазия»". Apsnypress. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
13. "Андзор Гоов назначен министром здравоохранения Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
14. "Создано Министерство по курортам и туризму РА". Apsnypress. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
15. "Создано Министерство по курортам и туризму РА". Apsnypress. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
16. Zavodskaya, Elena (16 March 2015). "Дождались". Echo of the Caucasus. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
17. "Артур Миквабия назначен премьер-министром Абхазии". Apsnypress. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
18. "Утверждена новая структура Кабинета Министров Республики Абхазии". Apsnypress. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
19. "Президент Абхазии подписал Указы о назначениях". Apsnypress. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
20. "Назначены председатели Государственных комитетов Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
21. Zavodskaya, Elena (13 May 2015). "МВД и ГСО – стенка на стенку". Echo of the Caucasus. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
22. "Рауль Лолуа освобожден от должности министра внутренних дел". Apsnypress. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
23. "Беслан Хагба назначен министром внутренних дел Абхазии". Apsnypress. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
24. "Диана Пилия назначена руководителем аппарата Кабинета Министров Республики Абхазия". Apsnypress. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
25. "ЛЕОНИД ДЗАПШБА НАЗНАЧЕН МИНИСТРОМ ВНУТРЕННИХ ДЕЛ АБХАЗИИ". Abkhazia Inform. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
26. "Леонид Дзапшба назначен министром внутренних дел РА". Apsnypress. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.

External links

• Government structure at the beginning of Beslan Butba's term as Prime Minister
• Government structure at the beginning of Artur Mikvabia's term as Prime Minister