S.Ossetia Rival ‘Governments’ at Odds over Officials’ Recruitment

The Tbilisi-loyal alternative authorities of breakaway South Ossetia have accused the rival secessionist government in Tskhinvali of intimidating the local population to prevent them from cooperating with the alternative government led by Dimitri Sanakoev.

Breakaway South Ossetia’s Press and Information Committee reported on December 14 that the Tbilisi-backed alternative authorities appointed Nina Khetagurova to the position of Healthcare Minister without the latter’s consent.

Khetagurova, according to the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee, informed the South Ossetian law enforcement agencies that she was offered USD 1 000 per month as a salary, a car and a house in the Georgian village of Kurta (Sanakoev’s administration is based in this village). But Khetagurova refused to accept the proposal to be the Healthcare Minister in Sanakoev’s government, according to the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee.

But Vladimir Sanakoev, the minister for information and science with the alternative authorities, said in a statement on December 14 that Khetagurova was intimidated by the secessionist authorities.
 
“It is absurd to claim that Khetagurova was appointed without her consent… [Secessionist South Ossetian leader Eduard] Kokoity’s government continues to intimidate the local population of South Ossetia… As far as our government is composed of the residents of South Ossetia, that irritates Kokoity,” Vladimir Sanakoev said.

Dimitri Sanakoev announced on December 7 that he has appointed eight out of twelve ministers in his government.

Uruzmag Karkusov became the Prime Minister; Jemal Karkusov – Interior Minister; Teimuraz Jerapov – Economy Minister; Avtandil Gogidze – Finance Minister; Konstantine Kevlishvili – Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Maia Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili – Foreign Minister; Vladimir Sanakoev – Minister of Information, Science and New Technologies; Tamaz Maisuradze – Minister of Construction and Transport.

The position of Healthcare Minister remains unclear, while three other positions – Culture, Justice and Conflict Resolution Ministers – are still vacant. There will be no ministry of defense.

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