Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh (4 March 1949 – 29 May 2011) was an Abkhaz politician who served as the second President of Abkhazia from 12 February 2005 until his death on 29 May 2011. He previously served as Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 1997 to 1999. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election. Bagapsh's term as prime minister included the 1998 war with Georgia, while he oversaw both the recognition of Abkhazia by Russia and the Russo-Georgian War during his presidency.
Born in 1949 in Sukhumi, Bagapsh became a businessman following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as well as a representative of Abkhazian interests in Russia. Bagapsh became Prime Minister of Abkhazia in 1997, overseeing a brief, but successful, war with Georgia during a high point of tensions and the displacement of 30,000 Georgian civilians. In 2004, Bagapsh founded the United Abkhazia party in opposition to then-President Vladislav Ardzinba.
The same year, Bagapsh ran for President against Raul Khajimba, Ardzinba's choice, and originally was forecast as losing to Khajimba. A political crisis followed, with the Supreme Court of Abkhazia declaring Bagapsh the winner and protests against the election both by supporters of Bagapsh and Khajimba. The two eventually ran on a national unity ticket, with Bagapsh becoming President and Khajimba becoming Vice President in 2005.
As President, Bagapsh lobbied for the international recognition of Abkhazia, eventually receiving recognition from Russia in 2008 following the successful capture of the Kodori Valley in the Russo-Georgian War by Russian and Abkhazian forces. Following the country's recognition by Russia, widespread investment by Russian businesses and pressure to privatise assets drew both support and criticism. Bagapsh successfully won a second term against Khajimba before dying of heart failure on 29 May 2011, due to complications from a surgery to remove cancerous growths on his lung. (Full article...) (Full article...)