Anri Jergenia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anri Mikhail-ipa Jergenia
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| 4th Prime Minister of Abkhazia | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 29 November 2002 |
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| President | Vladislav Ardzinba |
| Preceded by | Vyacheslav Tsugba |
| Succeeded by | Gennady Gagulia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 August 1941 Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 5 January 2020 (aged 78) Moscow, Russian Federation |
| Political party | formerly Amtsakhara |
| Alma mater | Moscow State University |
| Occupation | lawyer |
Anri Mikhail-ipa Jergenia (Abkhaz: Анри Михаил-иҧа Џьергьениа; 8 August 1941 – 5 January 2020) was an important politician in the Republic of Abkhazia. Abkhazia is a region that declared itself independent from Georgia. However, most countries in the world do not officially recognize it as a separate country.
Anri Jergenia served as the Prime Minister of Abkhazia from June 2001 to November 2002. For a while, many thought he might become the next president after Abkhazia's first president, Vladislav Ardzinba.
Early Life and Career
Anri Jergenia was born on August 8, 1941, in Leningrad, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He studied law at Moscow State University and finished his degree in 1963.
During the time of the Soviet Union, he held several important legal jobs. He worked as an investigator and later became the chief investigator for the Prosecutor's Office in Sukhumi. He also served as a judge and was a member of the Supreme Court in the Abkhazian region.
After the Soviet Union broke apart, Jergenia became the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Abkhazia. This was from 1992 to 2001. In this role, he was in charge of legal matters for the new republic. He was re-appointed for a second term in 1999.
From 1990 to 2002, Jergenia was also the main person in charge of talks between Abkhazia and Georgia. He worked for President Ardzinba and handled many important discussions with countries like Russia, the United States, and the United Nations.
Time as Prime Minister
Anri Jergenia became Prime Minister on June 7, 2001. Because President Ardzinba was not well, Jergenia had a bigger role in leading Abkhazia's politics than previous Prime Ministers. They had mostly focused on the economy.
Jergenia was very supportive of Russia. He strongly believed that Abkhazia should not reunite with Georgia. He even talked about Abkhazia becoming a close partner with Russia. He also encouraged people in Abkhazia to get Russian passports, which many did. He also promised a military partnership with Eduard Kokoity, the President of South Ossetia. This was to discourage Georgia from attacking either region.
On November 29, 2002, President Ardzinba removed Jergenia from his position. The official reason was that he didn't meet budget goals and wasn't ready for winter. However, many people believed the real reason was political. At that time, Jergenia was seen as a strong candidate to become the next president. Some thought President Ardzinba felt Jergenia was too ambitious. Others believed Jergenia put Russia's interests ahead of Abkhazia's.
Jergenia was replaced by Gennady Gagulia, who had been Prime Minister before. This change also led to a different approach in Abkhazia's foreign policy. Jergenia was more open to talks, while his replacement was less so.
Anri Jergenia and President Ardzinba had been close friends for a long time. But they had a disagreement when Jergenia was fired. They later became friends again after Ardzinba retired as President in 2005.
2004 Presidential Elections
Even before he became Prime Minister, Jergenia supported the political group called Amtsakhara. In 2003, he spoke at their meeting. He suggested that the President's powers should be reduced. He wanted a government where both the President and Parliament shared power.
Jergenia was initially the top choice for Amtsakhara in the 2004 Abkhazian presidential election. However, the group later joined with another party, United Abkhazia, and decided to support Sergei Bagapsh instead.
A smaller group within Amtsakhara still supported Jergenia. He decided to run in the election anyway, with Ruslan Kishmaria as his running mate for Vice-President. They finished in fourth place in the first round of voting, receiving 2277 votes. They did not continue to the second round.
