# President of Abkhazia

The president of Abkhazia is the de facto head of state of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia, that is de jure part of Georgia. The position was created in 1994. Before the office of president was created the head of state position was known as the chairman of Parliament between 1992 and the creation of the 1994 constitution. Before the position of Chairman of Parliament, the highest office in Abkhazia was the chairman of the Supreme Soviet. The post would last from the declaration of sovereignty from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic on 25 August 1990 until the outright declaration of independence on 23 July 1992.

## Oath of office

During Alexander Ankvab's presidency, Parliament decided to scrap from the Presidential oath the phrase:
   Жәлар рылахь соуааит иҧшьоу абри ахақәкы сацәхьаҵны саныҟала — If I deviate from this path, then let me be punished by my people
During a meeting on 16 July 2014, following the Abkhazian Revolution, Parliament decided to restore this phrase. According to Vice Speaker Emma Gamisonia, the decision to remove the phrase had been taken because it was perceived as a curse, following the premature death of Abkhazia's first two presidents, Vladislav Ardzinba and Sergei Bagapsh. MP Daur Arshba claimed that the decision had been taken illegally, without the necessary quorum.
On 18 August, the People's Assembly of Abkhazia additionally adopted a bill authored by Said Kharazia and was first proposed by him during the meeting on 16 July, adding the invocation
   Иа Анцәа Ду, суҳәоит Сыԥсадгьыли сыуаажәлари рымаҵ аураҿы амчи алшареи суҭарц! — Almighty God, give me strength to serve country and people!

## List of officeholders
### Non-presidential heads of state

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Position | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Position | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| 1 | | Valerian Kobakhia (1929–1992) | Chairman of the Supreme Soviet | 25 August 1990 | 24 December 1990 | 121 days | Communist Party of Abkhazia |
| 2 | | Vladislav Ardzinba (1944–2010) | Chairman of the Supreme Soviet | 24 December 1990 | 23 July 1992 | 1 year, 212 days | Communist Party of Abkhazia |
| (2) | | Vladislav Ardzinba (1944–2010) | Chairman of Parliament | 23 July 1992 | 26 November 1994 | 2 years, 126 days | Independent |

### List of presidents of Abkhazia

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Election | Vice president(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Election | Vice president(s) |
| 1 | | Vladislav Ardzinba (1944–2010) | 26 November 1994 | 12 February 2005 | 10 years, 78 days | Independent | 1994 1999 | Valery Arshba (1995 – 2005) |
| 2 | | Sergei Bagapsh (1949–2011) | 12 February 2005 | 29 May 2011 † | 6 years, 106 days | United Abkhazia | 2005 2009 | Raul Khajimba (2005 – 2009) Alexander Ankvab (2009 – 2011) |
| – | | Alexander Ankvab (born 1952) Acting | 29 May 2011 | 26 September 2011 | 120 days | Aitaira | – | – |
| 3 | | Alexander Ankvab (born 1952) | 26 September 2011 | 1 June 2014 (Resigned) | 2 years, 248 days | Aitaira | 2011 | Mikhail Logua (2011 – 2013) |
| – | | Valeri Bganba (born 1954) Acting | 1 June 2014 | 25 September 2014 | 116 days | Independent | – | – |
| 4 | | Raul Khajimba (born 1959) | 25 September 2014 | 12 January 2020 (Resigned) | 5 years, 109 days | FNUA | 2014 2019 | Vitali Gabnia (2014 – 2019) Aslan Bartsits (2019 – 2020) |
| – | | Valeri Bganba (born 1954) Acting | 13 January 2020 | 23 April 2020 | 101 days | Independent | – | – |
| 5 | | Aslan Bzhania (born 1964) | 23 April 2020 | 19 November 2024 (Resigned) | 4 years, 210 days | Independent | 2020 | Badr Gunba (since 2020) |
| – | | Badra Gunba (born 1982) Acting | 19 November 2024 | Incumbent | 108 days | Independent | – | – |

## Latest election

| Candidate | Running mate | Votes | % |
| Aslan Bzhania | Badra Gunba | 53,741 | 58.92 |
| Adgur Ardzinba | Arda Ashub | 33,686 | 36.93 |
| Leonid Dzapshba | Viktor Khashba | 2,114 | 2.32 |
| None of the above | None of the above | 1,666 | 1.83 |
| Total | Total | 91,207 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 91,207 | 95.90 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 3,902 | 4.10 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 95,109 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 132,916 | 71.56 |
| Source: Abkhaz World ||||