MOSCOW. May 30 (Interfax) - The president of Abkhazia, Sergei Bagapsh, died in the early hours of Sunday in a Moscow clinic.
"Sergei Vasilyevich died this morning," chief of the Abkhaz presidential security Andrei Bobua told Interfax.
On May 21 Russian and French surgeons conducted an operation on his right lung. The doctors regarded the surgery as successful. However, three days ago Bagapsh developed lung failure and artificial ventilation of his lungs was ordered. A day ago doctors started registering complications in other organs and his state became critical. The efforts of doctors to save him failed.
The doctors who conducted the surgery told Interfax that "rumors of any type of cancer are absolutely groundless".
Bagapsh was born on March 4, 1949 in Sukhumi. In 1972 he graduated from the Subtropical Economy College in Sukhumi with a degree in agronomy.
In 1972-1975 he worked as an agronomist at a cooperative farm from where he was called up for military service. After demobilization he started his career with the Young Communist League ultimately becoming head of the Abkhaz chapter of the league in 1979.
In 1991 he was elected head of the Ochamchira district council and in 1997 became the prime minister of Abkhazia.
In August 2004 Amtsakhara movement nominated him for the presidency of Abkhazia and in January 2005 he was elected.
He was married, had two children and two grandchildren.