Abkhazia has a new prime minister - the old one
Valery Bhanba, who has been the prime minister for over a year will continue in the post, as decreed by the newly elected president Raul Khajimba.
On October 9, the day after his inauguration, in accordance with the law, Khajimba dissolved the government led by Bganba.
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For several days, everyone was talking about who was going to be the new prime minister. Different names were mentioned – starting from economy minister Adgur Ardzinba, to well-known businessman Nikolai Achba.
However, Khajimba wasn’t up for surprises.
Legally, he had three months to think it through, but it only took him three days to make the decision.
66-year-old Valery Bganba is a politician of the old cohort. He was a member of the first Abkhaz parliament.
He used to be the head of the administration of the Gagra district, and between 2012 and 2017 he served as the speaker for the parliament.
Following the storming of the presidential palace by the opposition in 2014 and the ensuing resignation of president Alexander Ankvab, Bganba became acting head of the republic for four months pending the new presidential election.
After prime minister Gennady Gagulia died in a car crash in September 2018, Khajimba gave the post to Bganba, and he has kept it ever since.
