Ex-president Kokoyty is still active

Image removed.Eduard Kokoyty. Photo: Liberali

The opposition and government in South Ossetia have reached an agreement: President Eduard Kokoyty has resigned, new presidential elections will be held in March, and opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva will be allowed to participate in the elections.

Despite this agreement, which was reached by mediation from the Kremlin's side, situation in the republic still remains very unstable.

South Ossetian president Eduard Kokoyty resigned on 10th of December. People rallying in the centre of Tskhinvali rejoiced when they heard the news. Even those not sharing the protesters' position went out to the streets to join them. People hugged and kissed each other. "Hard to believe that this plague is gone," you could hear people saying.

Since over two weeks now the protesters continue to rally in the centre of Tskhinvali. Alla Dzhioyeva won the second round of the presidential elections, but the South Ossetian Supreme Court has annulled the election results. People are now protesting against this decision.

Dzhioyeva has defeated the Kremlin's candidate - Anatoliy Bibilov, but she is now being forced to cede the victory.

His resignation speech Kokoyty gave in the choreographic hall of the government building on 10th of December. The hall was full; people wanted to witness how Kokoyty leaves. Kokoyty smiled with a jubilant expression on his face, as if emphasizing this historic moment.

The national anthem of the republic started to play. Until South Ossetia’s second president Eduard Dzhabeyevich Kokoyty appeared on stage, the audience was recalling December 2001. The presidential elections of December 18 held in that year brought Kokoyty to power. He took 53 percent of votes in the second round defeating Stanislav Kochiyev, Chairman of the Parliament of South Ossetia and thus replacing President Ludvig Chibirov. "Remember, snow was up to knees then exactly like it’s now?”, chatted people in the hall.

Kokoyty appeared on the stage.

He thanked the audience and the "entire Ossetian people" for support. He awarded number of officials and law enforcers with medals for their courage and made some personnel changes.

He said that county was in deep political crisis and that he had done everything possible to avert it and break a deadlock. The hall was full of his supporters, but most probably that no one believed in these words.

Kokoyty, ruling South Ossetia for 10 years now, is leaving the republic almost destroyed. Despite considerable Russian aid, almost nothing has been restored in the republic three years after the War 2008. Tskhinvali is a grim town plunged into mud and destroyed roads; and itts prospects for development are hazy.

Kokoyty's resignation is a result of the negotiations, initiated by the Kremlin, between the government and the opposition. "Yesterday we signed an agreement with the so-called opposition and took certain obligations," the President said.

Kokoyty several times in his speech referred to the opposition as "so-called". He said that the opposition was funded from a foreign country. Although he did not mention Georgia at this particular meeting, but several times before he had argued about Dzhioyeva’s links to Tbilisi.

He tried to convince the audience that he made a decision to resign already on 27th of November, but later developed political events in the country have stopped him. "Now I see the society consolidating, so I am ready to leave peacefully”.

"I am leaving," Kokoyty said in a solemn voice. "I am resigning to further serve South Ossetia and work for the further strengthening of the union of South Ossetia and Russia. This is the aim of my life".

He read out loud his own order of resignation and the order of appointing Prime Minister Vadim Brovtsev as an acting president.

All the decisions made by Kokoyty were coordinated with the Kremlin.

Kokoyty urged everyone to participate in the appointed presidential elections of March 25 and apologized to everyone in the office who he might have offended over the past years.

At the same time he said: "I would like to tell everyone who reviled at us that this government and I personally have done a lot for this country. I forgive them for reviling at us. And let God forgive them".

In conclusion he exclaimed: "Long live the republic of South Ossetia!"

According to the Ossetian tradition a wooden bowl full of beer was brought for Kokoyty to drink; he drank it all. The national anthem was played again. The ex-president raised his hands and quickly left the stage.

Audience applauded him. There were only his supporters in the hall.

Meantime people applauded in the central square where protesters received the news on Kokoyty's resignation. The square was strewn with large barrels, where people have put the fire to warm themselves.

According to the agreement, the opposition was to disperse immediately after Kokoyty's resignation, but people were celebrating the news and of course they could not disperse.

However, now it’s clear that there is not much to celebrate. Kokoyty is not intending to leave the republic. Right before his resignation Kokoyty established the Constitutional Court, which never existed in South Ossetia before. He appointed his close relative Eldar Kokoyev as the chairman of the court. The opposition perceived this decision as a sign that Kokoyty is staying in power. Indeed, Kokoyty keeps repeating that he is not intending to leave the republic and this is to assume that Eduard Dzhabeyevich will attempt further to influence the political life of the country. It is clear that Kokoyty cannot imagine himself outside South Ossetia and so does his closest entourage; they will do all they can to prevent Kokoyty from leaving the country. Kokoyty’s main task now is to retain sustainable positions by any means. Several days ago he addressed nation from television as their leader promising to always stand by them. By such speeches he tries to convince people that he is alright and still in control of everything.

But people are already very tired of him. The opposition has kept the promise; there are no people rallying in the streets any longer, but situation remains tense. People are morally ready to confront the regime again.

The terminology used in the article belongs to the author and not “Liberali”.

The article is prepared with support of Heinrich Boell Foundation. The publication statements and ideas do not necessarily express the Heinrich Boell Foundation opinion.