Viacheslav Tsugba was born on 1 January 1944 in the village of
Aatsy in the
Gudauta District of what was then the
Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1970, Tsugba graduated from the
Sukhumi Pedagological Institute. In 1978, he became aspirant member of the Academy of Social Sciences of the
CPSU Central Committee. From 1973 until 1975, Tsugba was 1st secretary of the Abkhazian regional committee of the
Komsomol, from 1975 until 1978 he was 1st secretary of the
Ochamchira raikom of the
CPSU, and from 1978 to 1989 Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian ASSR. On 20 July 1991, Tsugba was appointed Chairman of the
Central Election Commission of Abkhazia. ==Prime minister==