Kathrine Frich
When a powerful neighbour moves its borders, the political shockwaves can take years to settle.
Small territories caught in the middle often find their local leadership shifting to match the desires of a much larger ally.
This week, a sudden political shakeup in a disputed border region has opened the door for a direct outsider to step into the top job.
Sudden political shift
The prime minister of the breakaway region of South Ossetia stepped down from office on Monday. His departure sets the stage for a hand-picked Russian official to take control of the local government.
This political transition follows a significant milestone between the territory and Moscow. Just last month, a major integration agreement was officially signed into law.
Alan Gagloyev, the Moscow-supported president of the region, accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Dzhambolat Tedeyev during a broadcasted government session. The news was first broken by journalists at The Moscow Times cited by Onet.
While a temporary replacement is currently holding the office, the president already knows who he wants for the permanent role. He announced plans to send the name of a Russian bureaucrat, Marat Kambolov, to the local parliament for a vote.
Deepening local ties
The sudden leadership shakeup is a direct result of Russian President Vladimir Putin ratifying a new legal treaty. The pact aims to align local laws directly with Russian legislation.
Under this new agreement, Moscow promises to fund social services and boost the standard of living for residents in the area. Putin pointed to the vital trade and economic cooperation created by the deal. Meanwhile, Gagloyev called the arrangement “the beginning of the unification of the Ossetian people.”
Kambolov brings a long history of serving the Russian state to his new assignment. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that he previously worked as the deputy education minister in Moscow.
He also spent years as a top administrator at the Kurchatov Institute, which functions as Russia’s premier nuclear research facility. According to official announcements, his main task as prime minister will be overseeing the deep integration between the region and Russia.
A lingering conflict
Most of the international community still views South Ossetia as a legal part of Georgia. However, the small territory has remained under de facto Russian oversight for nearly two decades.
The separation hardened after a brief military conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. Since that war, Moscow has maintained permanent military bases inside the enclave.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Kommersant, AP, Onet
