S.Ossetia ‘Alternative Leader’ Inaugurated
The inauguration ceremony of Dimitri Sanakoev – the Tbilisi-loyal, self-imposed president of South Ossetia – was held on December 1 in the Georgian village of Kurta, few kilometers north-east of the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali.
Sanakoev, the ex-Prime Minister of breakaway South Ossetia, was elected with 94% of the votes in a November 12 alternative presidential election, which was held in parallel with the breakaway authorities’ election in Tskhinvali.
“I, the President of the Republic of South Ossetia, declare before God and Nation that I will protect the interests of the South Ossetian people… I will take care of the security, well-being and revival of South Ossetia and its people,” Sanakoev said while taking the presidential oath in the Ossetian and Georgian languages.
Along with other guests, Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Merab Antadze and several Georgian parliamentarians also attended the presidential inauguration ceremony. A group of parliamentarians, including MP Guram Vakhtangashvili from South Ossetia’s Georgian-populated Didi Liakhvi constituency and MP Giorgi Asanidze from the ruling National Movement party also were there.
Some unofficial reports indicate that the headquarters of “the alternative government” may be established in Kurta.
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