Adgur Kharazia

Adgur Rafet-ipa Kharazia (Abkhaz: Адгəыр Рафеҭ-иҧа Харазиа, Georgian: ადგურ ხარაზია) is the current acting Mayor of Sukhumi and Vice Speaker of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia.

Acting Mayor of Sukhumi (first time)

Adgur Kharazia was head of the Gulripsh district assembly before he was appointed acting mayor of Sukhumi by president Vladislav Ardzinba on 5 November 2004, in the heated aftermath of the 2004 presidential election, succeeding Leonid Lolua. During his first speech he called upon the two leading candidates, Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khadjimba, to both withdraw.^[1]

On February 16 of 2005, newly elected President Bagapsh replaced Kharazia with Astamur Adleiba as mayor of Sukhumi.

Member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia

In the 2007 parliamentary elections Adgur Kharazia successfully stood as candidate in the Dranda precinct No. 24, winning a majority in the first round. He forms part of the opposition.^[2] During the assembly's first meeting after the election Kharazia was nominated for the position of speaker by fellow MP Rita Lolua but lost to Nugzar Ashuba.^[3] On the 27th of July 2007, Kharazia took part in a round table on free speech organised by journalists that called upon the government to end what it called the pursuit of independent and opposition media.^[4]

Mayor of Sukhumi (second time)

Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba, Kharazia was again appointed as Acting Mayor of Sukhumi on 22 October 2014.^[5]

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