Breakaway South Ossetia’s leader Leonid Tibilov appointed on May 23 former opposition presidential candidate Alla Jioyeva as deputy prime minister, the local news agency, RES, reported.
Jioyeva’s possible government post has long been speculated in Tskhinvali and her appointment did not come as a surprise. She will be in charge of social sphere.
Tibilov, who was head of the breakaway region’s security service, KGB, in 1990s, became South Ossetian leader as a result of two rounds of repeat elections in March and April. Repeat elections were held after results of polls in November, in which opposition candidate Alla Jioyeva won, were annulled.
Jioyeva has become a deputy to new prime minister of the breakaway region Rostislav Khugaev.
Khugaev, 60, who was nominated by Tibilov in late April and approved by the breakaway region’s legislative body this month, is native of South Ossetia; he has lived in southern Russian city of Samara for many years, where he ran a construction and real estate firm Amond.
Appointment of Khugaev, known in South Ossetia for charitable activities, was also supported by Jioyeva, who has recently formed her own political party.
Anatoly Barankevich, who during the August, 2008 war was the breakaway region’s secretary of national security council and who was supporting Jioyeva in her presidential bid, was appointed as chief of administration of government.
Another supporter of Jioyeva, Alan Pliev was appointed as head of Tskhinvali district.