Beslan Butba is a businessman and opposition politician from Abkhazia

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...

. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV

Abaza TV

Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...

 and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia

Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia

The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007...

. Butba has been nominated for 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...

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Early life and career

Beslan Butba was born on 7 February 1960 in the village of Chlou in the Ochamchira District

Ochamchira district

Ochamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto...

 of the Abkhazian ASSR. In 1983 he graduated from the Institute for Engineering and Construction in Moscow and he began working for the Repair and Construction Department No. 1 of Moscow. Three years later he became head of the department.

Business career

Butba first entered business when in 1989 he founded a cooperation in Moscow. He returned to Abkhazia in 1990 where he also started to do business. In 2005 he became head of the Business Club Sukhum. In 2007 he founded Abaza TV

Abaza TV

Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...

, Abkhazia's first private Television channel, which started broadcasting at 19:30 on 26 June 2007. Butba also owns the newspaper Ekho Abkhazii.

Political career

Beslan Butba was a member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia from 2002 until 2007, and he headed the Committee for Interparliamentary Relations. In 2007, he failed to be re-elected. He then founded and became Chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia

Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia

The Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia is an opposition party in Abkhazia led by businessman Beslan Butba.-History:The Party for the Economic Progress of Abkhazia was founded during its first congress on 26 September 2007...

, which held its first congress on 26 September 2007. On 23 October 2009 Butba was nominated by his party for 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...

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