Anri Djergenia
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| Anri Djergenia | |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 29 November 2002 |
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| President | Vladislav Ardzinba |
| Preceded by | Vyacheslav Tsugba |
| Succeeded by | Gennady Gagulia |
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| Born | 1941 Leningrad, Russian SFSR , Soviet Union |
| Alma mater | Moscow State University |
| Occupation | retired |
Anri Mikhailovich Djergenia (Abkhaz: Анри Миха-иҧа Џьергениа) (born 1941) has been one of the leading politicians of the internationally unrecognised Republic of Abkhazia since it achieved de facto independence from Georgia. From 2001-02 he was the republic's Prime Minister.
[edit] Early life and career
Djergenia was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He graduated from the Moscow State University with a diploma in Law in 1963. During Soviet times, he held several offices within the administration of the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic: investigator at the Interior Ministry, chief investigator of the Prosecutor’s Office of Sukhumi, Public Court Chairman of Sukhumi and member of the Supreme Court of the Abkhazian ASSR.
After the break-up of the Soviet Union, from 1992 to 2001, Djergenia served as the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Abkhazia, as which, amongst other things, he had to defend Abkhazia's treatment of its prisoners of war.
From 1990 to 2002 Djergenia was the chief negotiator and designated representative at the Georgian-Abkhazian peace for President Vladislav Ardzinba. In this capacity, he personally handled most of the negotiations with Russia, Georgia, the United States and the United Nations. He is also the only Abkhazian representative to have addressed the United Nations Security Council, after achieving Russian support to do so.
[edit] Prime Minister
Djergenia was appointed to the post of Prime Minister on the 7th of June 2001. Like the others to have served as Prime Minister, he was pro-Russian, and vociferously opposed to reunification with Georgia. Under Djergenia, Abkhazia perhaps came the closest to uniting with Russia, as he openly discussed working towards associate membership of Russia. He encouraged Abkhazians to take up Russian passports, and as a result, a large percentage of the population now has them. He also pledged a military alliance with Eduard Kokoity, President of South Ossetia to discourage Georgia from attacking either entity.
On 29 November 2002, Djergenia was fired by President Ardzinba, reportedly due to his failure to ensure fulfillment of budget targets, and was replaced by former Prime Minister Gennady Gagulia. This led to a shift in Abkhazian foreign policy, as Djergenia, while still steadfast on the question of independence, was much more open to negotiations than his successor.
[edit] 2004 Presidential elections
Djergenia was the Amtsakhara opposition movement's favoured candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections before it entered into an alliance with United Abkhazia and chose to back Sergei Bagapsh instead, who was ultimately elected in a second round of voting brought on by a prolonged period of dispute over the results. Djergenia did enter into the elections, with Ruslan Kishmaria as his Vice-Presidential candidate, head of the Gali district. The pair came in only fourth place in the first round, receiving 2200 votes, and did not contest the second.
| Preceded by Vyacheslav Tsugba |
Prime Minister of Abkhazia 2001–2002 |
Succeeded by Gennady Gagulia |
