Aleksandr Zolotinskovich Ankvab (/ˈɑːŋkvɑːb/ ⓘ AHNK-vahb; Abkhaz: Алықьсандр Золотинска-иԥа Анқәаб, romanized: Alyk'sandr Zolotinska-ipa Anq'ab; Georgian: ალექსანდრე ზოლოტინსკის ძე ანქვაბი, romanized: aleksandre zolot'insk'is dze ankvabi; Russian: Алекса́ндр Золоти́нскович Анква́б; born 26 December 1952) is an Abkhaz politician and businessman who was the president of Abkhazia from 29 May 2011 until his resignation on 1 June 2014.

[citation needed] Ankvab survived six attempts on his life from 2005 to 2012, last time as a president on 22 February 2012, when his convoy was ambushed in Abkhazia, killing two of his guards.

[citation needed] Ankvab returned to Abkhazian politics in 2000, setting up the movement Aitaira ("Revival") in opposition to the government of president Vladislav Ardzinba.

In 2004 he announced that he would run for president, but was disqualified as ineligible on the grounds that he could not speak Abkhaz (a requirement for public office in the republic) and had lived in Abkhazia for too short a time.

[7] As required by law, Ankvab was therefore officially suspended from his post on 11 November, his duties to be carried out by First Vice Premier Leonid Lakerbaia.

[10] According to the preliminary results Ankvab garnered up to 55% of votes, defeating Shamba and ex-vice president and opposition candidate Raul Khajimba.

[13] On 27 May 2014, thousands of protesters, led by Raul Khajimba, rallied against Ankvab in Sukhumi, accusing him of "authoritarian" rule, inappropriate spending of Russian aid funds, and of failure to tackle corruption and economic problems, and demanded his resignation.

One of the other issues that sparked the rebellion was Ankvab's relatively liberal citizenship policy (he allowed ethnic Georgians to register as voters and receive Abkhazian passports).