Viacheslav Tsugba

Viacheslav Mikhail-ipa Tsugba (, ; born 1 January 1944) was the third Prime Minister of the Republic of Abkhazia (a de facto independent republic of Georgia) from December 1999 to May 2001. Before his appointment as prime minister, Tsugba had headed the Central Election Committee, which had overseen the internationally unrecognised simultaneously held October 1999 presidential election and constitutional referendum.

Early life and career Viacheslav Tsugba was born on 1 January 1944 in the village of Aatsy in the Gudauta District of what was then the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1970, Tsugba graduated from the Sukhumi Pedagological Institute. In 1978, he became aspirant member of the Academy of Social Sciences of the CPSU Central Committee. From 1973 until 1975, Tsugba was 1st secretary of the Abkhazian regional committee of the Komsomol, from 1975 until 1978 he was 1st secretary of the Ochamchira raikom of the CPSU, and from 1978 to 1989 Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian ASSR.

On 20 July 1991, Tsugba was appointed Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Abkhazia.

Prime minister After Vladislav Ardzinba's re-election as president, Viacheslav Tsugba was appointed prime minister on 20 December 1999.

In his resignation request, Tsugba's explanation was that "serious problems have arisen in connection with lawmaking, the professional qualifications of personnel at all levels of administration, from the highest to the lowest, with their accountability and the need to improve management and increase strict control and institute an uncompromising fight against crime."

Vice Speaker of Parliament Tsugba has been a member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia since 2002 and is one of its current Vice Speakers.