Abkhazia: new mayor of capital announced along with resignation of former

The new mayor of Sukhum has been introduced to the administration a few hours after the emergency briefing of the former mayor, where he announced that he would resign due to rumors about the appointment of a new mayor.

Details on both events. 

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New mayor Kan Kvarchia is a member of the president’s retinue 

President Raul Khajimba personally came to present the new mayor to the administration.

 “I hope that the new leadership will do everything to make the city look better,” the president said.

Kan Kvarchia will for the meanwhile work in the status of “acting”.  Sukhumi City Assembly must approve his candidacy within 30 days by secret ballot.  To approve his candidacy, it is necessary that 14 out of 26 MPs vote in favour of his candidacy. 

Kan Kvarchia is a close associate of the president.  He was a member of the parliament of the previous convocation, and after that he headed Abkhazvtorresursy. 

The president thanked the former mayor of Adgur Kharazia. But he emphasized that from now on “no one will have it easy, starting from the leader himself.” 

“A city that exceeds all cities and regions in its budget should do everything in order not to ask for help from the republican budget.  The city must change,” Khajimba said.

Former mayor Adgur Kharazia: “I want to apologize to those whom I could not help”

The former mayor, Adgur Kharazia, resigned at his own request and almost simultaneously with the introduction of the new mayor.

 He did not come to the ceremony introducing Kvarchia. 

A few hours before the decree on the new mayor, Adgur Kharazia convened a briefing for journalists, at which he announced that he would resign due to rumors about the appointment of a new mayor.

“There are rumors that they want to remove me.  How true this is, I can’t say, I don’t own the situation.  Nobody called me and nor have they shown me any document. But since such a situation has arisen around me, I’m not going to cling to the position, I’m leaving,” said Kharazia.

After these words, he summed up some results of his work:

 “Much has been done in this post in five years, but more needs to be done.  Water does not always flow in the tap, people do not always fall asleep full.  Citizens often write with a request to help, some people are sick and cannot leave to receive treatment.  I did not sleep for many nights, thinking about the problems of citizens. I want to apologize to those whom I could not help,” said Kharazia, emphasizing that he was resigning because he had never clung to a position. 

Adgur Kharaziya has been the mayor of Sukhum since 2014.  Prior to this appointment, he was vice speaker of the parliament of Abkhazia.

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