President of South Ossetia Having Forgotten about Independence Is Going to Enter the Structure of Russia

A year after five-day war between Tbilisi and Moscow president of South Ossetia Edward Kokoiti declared desire of the republic to be a part of Russia. "We will build our statehood but we will be in union with Russia. We do not exclude that we will be a part of the Russian Federation", - Kokoiti said in the interview to agency Reuters.

According to Kokoiti, the overwhelming majority of local population sticks up for joining Russia. Thus president of South Ossetia reminded that about 98% of Southern Ossetians have citizenship of Russia.

Коkoiti also expressed opinion that the number of the Russian soldiers present in the republic (3,7 thousand) - is not enough for South Ossetia feeling itself safe and asked to allocate for his region more serious arms and military technology. At the same time Kokoiti said that he "does not want and does not think at all of new war" seeing returning of stability a priority.

The day before Edward Kokoiti signed the decree about dismiss of Aslanbek Bulatsev from a post of the chairman of the government of the republic for health reasons. According to the decree, in connection with Bulatsev's dismiss from the post of prime minister, powers of the government of the republic terminate.

Bulavtsev was born in 1963, have graduated from North Ossetia State University, economic faculty by occupation book keeping. In 1986-2006 he worked in state security bodies. Last two years he headed management of Federal Tax Service of Russia in North Ossetia.

On November, 10th of past year Kokoitit signed the decree on creation of presidium of the government of South Ossetia which was assigned with duty to define strategy and directions of work of the cabinet. According to the decree signed, the government presidium is headed by the president of the republic. The structure of government presidium also included the chairman of the government Aslanbek Bulatsev, Alexander Bolshakov (the head of Presidential Administration), Hasan Pliev (the first deputy of the chairman of the government), Tajmuraz Chochiev (vice-president of the government, Minister of Industry and Trade), Nugzar Gabaraev (vice-president of the government, Minister of Health and Social Development), Eleonora Bedoeva (vice-president of the government, Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs, Sports and Tourism), Alexey Panteleev (vice-president of the government, Minister of Finance) and Irina Gagloeva (Minister of Press and Means of Mass Communication).

From editorial board: As they say, it's going from bad to worse. Till this day mission of Russia in South Ossetia and Abkhazia passed under the slogan of rescue Ossetians and Abkhazians from the Georgian genocide. The genocide question was disputable but it was quite possible to assume that in case of bringing of the Georgian military formations to the territory of self-proclaimed republics genocide could acquire quite real forms. Really, hundred thousand Georgian as a result of bloody events of the beginning of 90s years were expelled from places of their residing and now represent serious force in Georgia demanding from any government returning of "primordially Georgian lands" into republic structure. It's simple to imagine what will be after execution of this desire with "not primordial" and not Georgian population. That always occurs on Caucasus - where's Russian population of the Chechen Republic? Armenian population of the Nakhichevan autonomy of Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan population of Nagorny Karabah? Examples can be continued.

It is clear that recognition by Russia de facto independent and, the main thing, now ethnically quite homogeneous Abkhazia and South Ossetia though caused quite understandable irritation of the world community (which thus recognized Kosovo), it's quite explainable by humanitarian reasons. Usually after years such autonomies change their "self-proclaimed" status for full-scale sovereignty. Eventually, not all states recognize till now even Israel - and what of it?

Quite different thing - joining of "released" territory to the country - "liberator". It's already annexation and it would be difficult to explain to the international community aspiration of Kokoiti to be the part of Russia by some thoughtlessness. All understand dependence of the leader from South Ossetia on Moscow and nobody will believe that Kokoiti decided it by himself, without coordination in the Kremlin. Even if he did it himself - all the same nobody will believe. It's even more clear we will wait for the whole third millennium recognition of annexation of the Georgian territory by Russia.

Who is behind this action moving the Russian Federation further away to position of the country-derelict? To be more precise - who in the Kremlin is behind it?

After all now, after Kokoiti's statement everybody will compare situation not to "Kosovan precedent" but directly to "Sudetic" one. We congratulate you with it. Separate thanks to the great friend of Russian people comrade Kokoiti.

Аnatoly Baranov

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