Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia

Infobox Country or territory
conventional_long_name = Provisional Administration of South Ossetia
common_name = South Ossetia

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capital = (in-exile)
latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW=
official_languages = Ossetian, Georgian
government_type = Provisional Administration
leader_title1 = Head of Administration
leader_name1 = Dmitri Sanakoyev [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15089 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]
leader_title2 = Interior Minister
leader_name2 = Jemal Karkusov
sovereignty_type = Provisional administrative entity of Georgia smallsup|1
established_event1 = Established
established_date1 = April, 2007
established_event2 =
established_date2 =
currency = Georgian lari
currency_code = GEL
footnote1 = Administration was set up by the Georgian government as a temporary measure before final solution on South Ossetia status. As of June 26, 2007 Georgia is proposing autonomous republic status for South Ossetia within the Georgian state.

The Provisional Administration of South Ossetia is a government in exile that Georgia recognizes as the legal government of South Ossetia.

The Salvation Union of South Ossetia was founded in October of 2006 by the ethnic Ossetians who were outspoken critics and presented a serious opposition to secessionist authorities of Eduard Kokoity.

The group headed by the former defence minister and then prime minister of secessionist government Dmitri Sanakoev organized the so-called alternative presidential election, on November 12 2006– parallel to those held by the secessionist authorities in Tskhinvali. [ [http://www.caucaz.com/home_eng/breve_contenu.php?id=279 Two Referendums and Two “Presidents” in South Ossetia - CAUCAZ.COM ] ] High voter turnout was reported by the alternative electoral commission, which estimated over 42,000 voters from both Ossetian (Java district and Tskhinvali) and Georgian (Eredvi, Tamarasheni, etc) communities of South Ossetia and Sanakoev reportedly received 96% of the votes. Another referendum was organised shortly after asking for the start of negotiations with Georgia on a federal arrangement for South Ossetia received 94% support. However the Salvation Union of South Ossetia turned down a request from a Georgian NGO, “Multinational Georgia”, to monitor it and the released results were very likely to be inflated. [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4887&l=1 Georgia’s South Ossetia Conflict: Make Haste Slowly] , Europe Report N°183, 7 June 2007 (free registration needed to view full report)]

“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,”

Dimitri Sanakoev said in his presidential oath, which he gave in the Ossetian and Georgian languages during the inauguration ceremony held on December 1 2006. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14224 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ] Soon after Sanakoev formed his government, appointing Uruzmag Karkusov as Prime Minister, Jemal Karkusov (former Interior Minister in the secessionist government) as Interior Minister and Maia Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili (head of the Tbilisi-based non-governmental organization Iber-Ironi Georgian-Ossetian Union) as Foreign Minister. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14223 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]

“This is a historic day. A year ago no one could imagine that South Ossetian flags could appear here in the Georgian-populated village,” Vladimir Sanakoev, co-founder of the Salvation Union of South Ossetia, said. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/detail.php?id=14224 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]

There were large number of Ossetian flags also used by the South Ossetian secessionist authorities, flown alongside the Georgian flag in Kurta, near Tskhinvali. South Ossetian flags are usually displayed in Tskhinvali by the Separatist controlled territories of the breakaway region alongside of the Russian national flag.

Despite Georgia's non-violent and development-oriented steps, both the central Georgian government and Sanakoyev's adminsitartion considers any negotiations with Kokoity's government meaningless because of its dependence on Moscow. On the other hand, the Tskhinvali leadership and a majority of South Ossetians in the areas it controls dismiss Sanakoev as a "traitor" and perceive that Georgia wants to force a settlement on its own terms having "little respect for their aspirations and fears".

Initially the entity of Sanakoev was known as "the Alternative Government of South Ossetia", but during the course of 2007 the central authorities of Georgia decided to give it official status and on April 13 the formation of "Provisional Administration of South Ossetia" was announced. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14944 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ] On May 10, 2007 Dmitry Sanakoev was appointed head of the provisional administrative entity in South Ossetia. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15089 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]

For the first time since the fall of Soviet Union, the former Ossetian secessionist leader gave a speech in the Georgian parliament on May 11, 2007.

In his speech in Ossetian language ( [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15101see full text] ), Sanakoev mentioned about the armed conflict which ignited the region in early 90s:He also mentioned that: Sanakoev also mentioned that despite of his high-level position in the South Ossetian secessionist authorities as Prime Minister he failed to build confidence between the two sides and make a breakthrough in the conflict resolution process “because it was beyond my powers.”cquote|“There is only one solution – direct dialogue between the Georgian and Ossetian people, neutralizing external and internal destructive forces and their replacement with effective and healthy support of the international democratic community. European Union’s role in respect of confidence-building and economic rehabilitation is of vital importance. We should counter-balance antidemocratic propaganda by our movement’s brave peaceful initiatives and economic development projects,”.As for current situation, Sakanoev mentioned that Tskhinvali secessionist authorities take instruction from “foreign supervisors” who try to thwart confidence-building and provoke hostilities between the two people.

"Our Ossetian children grow up in an environment of endless conflict, under constant stress and tension… They don’t know what is going on beyond checkpoints… We are losing entire generations",” “"I will not allow it! We should not allow it",” he added. “"This is our current challenge; this is our current goal: to create a new Ossetia, strong and delightful, free of violence: an Ossetia of free people".”

Many European and US observers and ambassadors who were present during Sanakoevs speech, welcomed his proposition and initiatives. On June 15, 2007 European Union, European Parliament and OSCE supported Georgian initiative for conflict settlement in South Ossetia. EU issued the following statement:

"The EU welcomes the Georgian government’s invitation to the South Ossetian society as a whole – i.e. representatives of all political forces and local groups – to participate actively in discussions on progress towards peaceful conflict resolution.” [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15289 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]

The EU mission had met with both Sanakoev and Kokoity in January, 2007. Per Eklund, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Georgia said that “None of the two alternatives do we consider legitimate [in South Ossetia] ,” [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14488 Online Magazine - Civil Georgia ] ]

On July 13, 2007, Georgia set up a state commission, chaired by the Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, to develop South Ossetia's autonomous status within the Georgian state. According to the Georgian officials, the status will be elaborated within the framework of "an all-inclusive dialogue" with all the forces and communities within the Ossetian society. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15431 Commission to Work on S.Ossetia Status] . "Civil Georgia" July 13, 2007.]

2008 War

On August 8, 2008, on the same day as the 2008 Olympic Games officially commenced, Georgian armed forces moved forward to take control of Tskhinvali. In the next few days Russian troops pushed back the Georgian army out of South Ossetia and moved farther, occupying Gori in Georgia proper. Following the end of hostilities, the Federation Council of Russia called an extraordinary session for August 25, 2008 to discuss recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. [cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4572733.ece|title=Russia to recognise breakaway region's independence|publisher=The Times|date=2008-08-20|accessdate=2008-08-20] On August 25 the Federation Council unanimously voted to ask the Russian President to recognise independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. [cite news|url=http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/29428|title=Upper chamber backs independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|publisher=Russia Today|date=2008-08-25] The Russian parliament voted in favour of this motion the following day. This unilateral recognition by Russia was met by condemnation from the international community and other members of United Nations (France, Germany, Great Britain, United States, etc), NATO, OSCE, European Council due to the violation of Georgia's territorial integrity, United Nations numerous resolutions and the international law. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7583164.stm West condemns Russia over Georgia, BBC, 26 August 2008] ] [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19301, Scheffer ‘Rejects’ Russia’s Move, Civil.ge, August 26, 2008] ] [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19300, CoE, PACE Chairs Condemn Russia’s Move, Civil Georgia, 26 August, 2008] ] [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19296, OSCE Chair Condemns Russia’s Recognition of Abkhazia, S.Ossetia, Civil Georgia, 26 August, 2008] ]

References