Stanislav Lakoba
Encyclopedia
Stanislav Lakoba is an academic and politician from Abkhazia
. Lakoba was current president Bagapsh's Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2004 Presidential election
and until 25 August 2009 he served as Secretary of the Security Council. He is Professor in Archeology, Ethnology and History at the Abkhazian State University
.
. He graduated from the History faculty of the Sukhumi State Pedagogical Institute.
Lakoba was the author of the 1989 Lykhny declaration. During the 1992-1993 war with Georgia Lakoba was a member of the Abkhazian Supreme Soviet. From 1993 to 1994 he served as First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council and from 1994 to 1996 as the First Deputy Speaker of the Supreme Soviet.
During the October 1999 Presidential election
Stanislav Lakoba published the controversial Выборы по Хичкоку - Hitchcock's election - an article in which he criticised the fact that in the election incumbent president Vladislav Ardzinba
ran unopposed.
From 2000 onwards Lakoba became first Acting Professor and then Professor in Archeology, Ethnology and History at the Abkhazian State University
. From 2000 to 2004 he was a Visiting Professor at the Hokkaido University
Center for Slavic Studies.
. In the run-up to the 3 October 2004 Presidential election, Amtsakhara decided to enter into an alliance with fellow opposition party United Abkhazia
. On 20 June, the two movements announced that they would nominate United Abkhazia's Sergei Bagapsh for the post of President and Lakoba for the post of Vice President.
Bagapsh and Lakoba narrowly won in the first round with just 50.08% of the votes, but this was hotly contested by supporters of Raul Khajimba
. The resulting stand-off lasted until on 5 December Bagapsh and Khajimba struck a deal in which the pair would run on a combined ticket in a new election.
, Lakoba was appointed Secretary of the Security Council on 17 February.
When Khajimba resigned as Vice President on 28 May 2009 he declared that within the government he had received most support by Lakoba. On 18 August Lakoba himself handed his resignation over the Abkhazian citizenship crisis, which was ratified on 25 August by President Bagapsh. On 17 September Lakoba's deputy in the Security Council Aleksandr Voinskiy was appointed to temporarily succeed him.
In an interview with Caucasian Knot on 3 September Lakoba stated that he would not participate in the December 2009 presidential election
and he called absurd the notion that he would join the opposition. Nevertheless, in an interview with the newspaper Nuzhnaya on 17 November, Lakoba stated that as a private citizen he supported Khajimba's candidacy and he praised his work in the Security Council.
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
. Lakoba was current president Bagapsh's Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2004 Presidential election
Abkhazian presidential election, 2004
On 3 October 2004 Abkhazia held its second Presidential elections since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994, and the first that were competitive. Election law prohibited incumbent President Vladislav Ardzinba from running for a third term and he instead backed...
and until 25 August 2009 he served as Secretary of the Security Council. He is Professor in Archeology, Ethnology and History at the Abkhazian State University
Abkhazian State University
The Abkhazian State University is the only university in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia. It was founded in 1979 on the basis of the Sukhumi Pedagogical Institute...
.
Early life and career
Stanislav Lakoba was born on 23 February 1953 in SukhumiSukhumi
Sukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
. He graduated from the History faculty of the Sukhumi State Pedagogical Institute.
Lakoba was the author of the 1989 Lykhny declaration. During the 1992-1993 war with Georgia Lakoba was a member of the Abkhazian Supreme Soviet. From 1993 to 1994 he served as First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council and from 1994 to 1996 as the First Deputy Speaker of the Supreme Soviet.
During the October 1999 Presidential election
Abkhazian presidential election, 1999
Presidential elections were held in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on October 3, 1999 at the same time as a referendum on the constitution. Outgoing President Vladislav Ardzinba stood unopposed in the election. The People's Party had nominated former Foreign Minister Leonid Lakerbaia, but...
Stanislav Lakoba published the controversial Выборы по Хичкоку - Hitchcock's election - an article in which he criticised the fact that in the election incumbent president Vladislav Ardzinba
Vladislav Ardzinba
Vladislav Grigori-ipa Ardzinba was the first President of Abkhazia. A historian by education, Ardzinba led Abkhazia to de facto independence in the 1992-1993 War with Georgia, but its de jure independence from Georgia remained internationally unrecognised during Ardzinba's two terms as President...
ran unopposed.
From 2000 onwards Lakoba became first Acting Professor and then Professor in Archeology, Ethnology and History at the Abkhazian State University
Abkhazian State University
The Abkhazian State University is the only university in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia. It was founded in 1979 on the basis of the Sukhumi Pedagogical Institute...
. From 2000 to 2004 he was a Visiting Professor at the Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
Center for Slavic Studies.
Vice Presidential candidature in the 2004 Presidential election
Stanislav Lakoba is a member of the socio-political movement AmtsakharaAmtsakhara
Amtsakhara is an important political movement and party in Abkhazia, a de facto independent republic in Caucasus whose independence is recognized by Russia and Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru but whom most of the international community considers as a part of Georgia.Amtsakhara originally formed as an...
. In the run-up to the 3 October 2004 Presidential election, Amtsakhara decided to enter into an alliance with fellow opposition party United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004 as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections....
. On 20 June, the two movements announced that they would nominate United Abkhazia's Sergei Bagapsh for the post of President and Lakoba for the post of Vice President.
Bagapsh and Lakoba narrowly won in the first round with just 50.08% of the votes, but this was hotly contested by supporters of Raul Khajimba
Raul Khadjimba
Raul Jumka-ipa Khajimba is a politician from Abkhazia, leading the oppositional Forum of the National Unity of Abkhazia. Until 28 May 2009 Khajimba served as Vice President following the power-sharing agreement reached with current president Sergei Bagapsh to end the crisis that followed the...
. The resulting stand-off lasted until on 5 December Bagapsh and Khajimba struck a deal in which the pair would run on a combined ticket in a new election.
Secretary of the Security Council
The deal between Bagapsh and Khajimba meant that Lakoba would no longer become Vice President. Instead, after the new election on 12 January 2005Abkhazian presidential election, 2005
Presidential elections were held in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on 12 January 2005.-Background:A Presidential election had been held in Abkhazia on 3 October, but had resulted in a prolonged conflict over the results between the two main contenders, Raul Khadjimba, who had been Prime...
, Lakoba was appointed Secretary of the Security Council on 17 February.
When Khajimba resigned as Vice President on 28 May 2009 he declared that within the government he had received most support by Lakoba. On 18 August Lakoba himself handed his resignation over the Abkhazian citizenship crisis, which was ratified on 25 August by President Bagapsh. On 17 September Lakoba's deputy in the Security Council Aleksandr Voinskiy was appointed to temporarily succeed him.
In an interview with Caucasian Knot on 3 September Lakoba stated that he would not participate in the December 2009 presidential election
Abkhazian presidential election, 2009
On 12 December 2009, Abkhazia held its fourth Presidential election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was won by incumbent president Sergei Bagapsh in the first round with 61% of the votes, thus gaining a second term in office. He was be...
and he called absurd the notion that he would join the opposition. Nevertheless, in an interview with the newspaper Nuzhnaya on 17 November, Lakoba stated that as a private citizen he supported Khajimba's candidacy and he praised his work in the Security Council.