# Ochamchira District

Ochamchira District is a district of the partially recognized Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchire, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli District, formed by de facto Abkhaz authorities in 1995. The population of the Ochamchira district is 24,629 according to the 2003 census. Until the August 2008 Battle of the Kodori Valley, some mountainous parts of the district were still under Georgian control, as part of Upper Abkhazia.

## Administration

In 1997, Khrips Jopua became Head of Administration. Jopua was reappointed on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections.
After Sergei Bagapsh became president in 2005, he appointed Vladimir Atumava to succeed Appolon Dumaa on 21 February 2005. 22 February 2007 Atumava was released from office and temporarily replaced by his deputy Ramaza Jopua. On 3 April Daur Tarba became the new head of the administration. On 18 December 2008, Tarba asked to be released from office, and he was replaced by Murman Jopua, who had until then been vice head. The new vice head is Zurab Kajaia. Tarba went on to become chairman of United Abkhazia.
On 3 June 2014, following the 2014 Abkhazian political crisis, acting President Valeri Bganba dismissed Murman Jopua, as had been demanded by protesters, and appointed his Deputy Mikhail Agrba as acting District Head. After the election of Raul Khajimba as president, he on 28 October appointed Beslan Akhuba as acting Head in Agrba's stead. On 21 July 2015 Akhuba was in turn replaced by Khrips Jopua as acting Head, who had been Head of the State Repatriation Committee until recently and who had already governed Ochamchira District between 1997 and 2004. On 25 September, Jopua was appointed permanently to the post.

### List of Administration Heads

| # | Name | Entered office | Left office | President | Comments |
| Chairmen of the District Soviet: ||||||||
| | Sergei Bagapsh | 1991 | 1992 | | |
| Heads of the District Administration: ||||||||
| | Batal Tapagua | October 1993 | September 1995 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Zaur Zarandia | 1995 | 1998 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Khrips Jopua | 1997 | ≥ March 2004 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Appolon Dumaa | ≤ July 2004 | 21 February 2005 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| | Vladimir Atumava | 21 February 2005 | 22 February 2007 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| | Ramaza Jopua | 22 February 2007 | 3 April 2007 | Sergei Bagapsh | Acting |
| | Daur Tarba | 3 April 2007 | 18 December 2008 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| | Murman Jopua | 18 December 2008 | 29 May 2011 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| | Murman Jopua | 29 May 2011 | 3 June 2014 | Alexander Ankvab | |
| | Mikhail Agrba | 3 June 2014 | 28 October 2014 | Valeri Bganba | Acting |
| | Beslan Akhuba | 28 October 2014 | 21 July 2015 | Raul Khajimba | Acting |
| | Khrips Jopua | 21 July 2015 | Present | Raul Khajimba | Second time |

## Demographics

According to 2011 census, the population of the district was 24 868 people, consisting of:
* Abkhazians (77.7%)
* Georgians (9.5%)
* Armenians (6.6%)
* Russians (3.9%)
* Ukrainians (0.3%)
* Greeks (0.2%)

## Settlements

The district's main settlements are:
* Ochamchire
* Ilori
* Labra
* Mokvi