Tskhinvali Leader Makes Key Appointments
Kremlin-backed Tskhinvali leader Alan Gagloev has made a series of appointments recently, with the latest being Ilarion Gagiev as head of the administration of the ethnic Georgian majority Akhalgori district. Gagloev signed a decree on July 19 to appoint Gagiev to the post, per Tskhinvali-based media RES.
In 2019 Gagiev tried to participate in “parliamentary” elections but was removed as a candidate after it was revealed he held Georgian citizenship, according to RFE/RL Georgia. Though the “supreme court” ruled in favor of his removal, Gagiev maintained at the time that the court could not present any evidence regarding his citizenship since he is not a Georgian citizen.
Gagloev signed another decree yesterday, according to RES, releasing the “head of the state guard” Andrei Zakharchenko from his post.
On July 15, Gagloev introduced the new “head of the Tskhinvali city administration” Geno Kajaev by a decree signed on July 12. Gagloev expressed confidence in Kajaev and noted he has “managerial experience, and therefore, I have no doubt that the process of entering a new position will pass quickly…”
For his part, Kajaev emphasized, “We have a lot of work to do, there will be some personnel changes, but there is no way to achieve the desired result without it.”
Besides the key “government” appointments, RES reported that the Tskhinvali leader also replaced Yuri Gabaraev, the editor-in-chief of the “state-run” newspaper Khurzarin, with Irina Dambegova. In a similar move, the Tskhinvali leader dismissed Georgy Kelekhsaev, director of “state television and radio company” Ir. He has been temporarily replaced by the deputy director, Alan Bestaev.
Ekhokavkaza also reported that on June 10, Alexander Tuaev was appointed “first deputy chairman of the KGB of the Republic of South Ossetia”.
Gagloev also appointed Valery Gazzaev as head of the “ministry of internal affairs,” who has been the head of the “department of internal security” since 2015.
On June 10 the leader also signed a decree officially appointing Alan Dzhioev as the “head of his administration.” Dzhioev had taken over the role since Gagloev took over as leader of the region.
That week, the leader also appointed Oleg Gagloev to the post of “minister of justice.” Gagloev was reportedly prosecuted on arbitrary charges during Anatoly Bibilov’s time as Tskhinvali’s leader.
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