Type Unicameral | ||
 | ||
Speaker Valeri Bganba, IndependentSince 3 April 2012 Vice Speaker Daur ArshbaSince 12 November 2014 Vice-Speaker Otari TsvizhbaSince 3 April 2012 Vice Speaker Emma GamisoniaSince 3 April 2012 Vice Speaker Vagarshak KosyanSince 3 April 2012 | ||
The People's Assembly of the Republic of Abkhazia (Abkhaz: Аҧсны жәлар реизара, Georgian: სახალხო კრება აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის, Russian: Народное Собрание Республики Абхазия) is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Abkhazia.
Contents
Composition
The People's Assembly has 35 members, elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies. On 30 July 2015, Parliament failed to support a constitutional amendment increasing the number of members to 45 and introducing a mixed electoral system. The proposal was supported by 19 Deputies, four short of the required two-thirds majority. (Five deputies voted against, 4 abstained.)
Leadership
Valeri Bganba is the current speaker of parliament. He was elected on 3 April 2012, succeeding Nugzar Ashuba who had failed re-election in the 2012 elections. There are currently four Vice-Speakers: Daur Arshba, Otari Tsvizhba, Emma Gamisonia and Vagarshak Kosyan. Throughout the years, the number of Vice-Speakers has increased from two (until 2007) to three (from 2007 until 2012) to four (since 2012).
Committees
The People's Assembly currently contains the following eight committees:
- Legal Policy, State Building and Human Rights
- Budget, Credit Institutions, Tax and Finance
- Economic Policy, Reform and Innovation
- Defence and National Security
- Social Policy, Labour and Health
- Education, Science, Culture, Religion, Youth and Sport
- International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Relations with Compatriots
- Agrarian Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology
The number of committees had been eleven during the 4th convocation (from 2007 until 2012).