South Ossetia’s new government takes shape, with Russian officials in top posts
South Ossetia has appointed a new prime minister after parliament unanimously backed 44-year-old Soslan Margiev, a former chairman of the Moscow Region Court.
Addressing MPs, Margiev said the region needed reforms. His priorities include making high-quality healthcare more accessible, improving South Ossetia’s investment appeal, developing its tourism potential and expanding social benefits.
“We have every opportunity to deliver these changes through our strategic partnership with the Russian Federation. We need to build an effective system of public administration that will help us develop our economy and social sector and, ultimately, improve living standards in our country,” the new prime minister said.
Clarify Margiev’s previous judicial roleMake the Russian partnership wording more neutral
Soslan Margiev was born in Tskhinval and studied law in North Ossetia before working in various Russian courts. He has now made the unlikely career move to become South Ossetia’s prime minister. Some people in South Ossetia see him as a protégé of influential businessman Anatoly Margiev, head of the Ossetian diaspora in Sochi, and suspect the two men are related.
However, the new president, Marat Kambolov, who personally selected Margiev for the post, justified his choice by arguing that a legal professional would find it easier to restore law and order in South Ossetia.
“When I arrived here, I was certain that the head of government would definitely come from Moscow. He didn’t necessarily have to be an administrator. But after working here, meeting people and speaking with many of you, we made the only right decision. He is a lawyer in the fullest sense of the word. We are building a state governed by the rule of law,” Kambolov said.
Unlike Kambolov himself, Margiev at least comes from South Ossetia. So he is not entirely an outsider.
Kambolov previously signed decrees appointing several ministers and a first deputy prime minister before parliament had officially confirmed the prime minister in office, thereby breaching the procedure for forming a government.
Last week, he appointed local officials to head the interior ministry, emergency situations ministry, defence ministry and other departments. However, he named another Moscow-based official, Ekaterina Tolstikova, as first deputy prime minister. She is a former colleague of Kambolov, with whom she worked in Russia’s federal government.
The cabinet is still incomplete. The posts of economy, agriculture, justice, and education and science ministers remain vacant.
Kambolov has also made appointments at the State Security Committee (KGB). He dismissed an appointee of the former president and replaced him with Yevgeny Romanov, whom he also brought in from Russia.
Thus, the top three positions in South Ossetia’s government — president, prime minister and deputy prime minister — are held by Russian officials who had no previous experience in politics as such. Two of them have never had any connection with South Ossetia.
However, judging by social media and opinion polls, the people of South Ossetia do not seem to find this unacceptable, provided the “imported” government does its job and delivers on its many ambitious promises. Only time will tell.
The terminology, place names and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this website.
South Ossetia appoints new prime minister
