Abkhaz Interior Minister Appointed

President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh appointed on February 26 Otar Khatsia as the unrecognized republic?s Interior Minister, Apsnipress reported. Previously, Khatsia served as a chief of police in Abkhaz capital Sokhumi.

Appointment of Otar Khatsia has become one of the reasons of disagreement between President Bagapsh and Vice-President Raul Khajimba. Khajimba told Apsnypress that appointments to the cabinet of ministers made by de facto President Sergey Bagapsh on February 24-25 violated the law on mandate of the Vice-President and the power-sharing agreement signed which brought the two politicians to power, with Russian mediation, on December 6, 2004.

According to the Vice President, Bagapsh did not take into account Khajimba’s suggestions over appointment of Omar Berulava as the Interior Minister. According to the power-sharing agreement the Vice-President proposes candidacies for the Interior, Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Minister, as well as chief of customs department.

On February 25, Sergey Bagapsh also appointed Vakhtang Pipia as the Minister for Tax Collection; Vitali Smir ? the Minister of Agriculture; Kristina Ozgan ? the Minister of Economy and Zurab Marshania as the Healthcare Minister, the Apsnipress reported.