South Ossetia: counter-corruption program

South Ossetia will hold presidential polls on Sunday with 15 candidates involved. Initially there had been 17 candidates, but Ayvar Bestayev withdrew over health problems on November 7. Merab Chigoyev withdrew as well. The latter expressed a willingness to support Anatoly Bibilov, a candidate from the Unity Party, which is also supported by Russia and the authorities, Chigoyev says. He also expressed full confidence that financial aid will not be wasted.

Indeed, distribution of Russian financial support has become one of the key issues in the republic. Joy over Russia's recognition of South Ossetia is over. The primary issue today is corruption. It is rumored that Tskhinvali saw introduction of three candidates from the republican authorities for preservation of control over financial streams. They are Georgy Kabisov, Chairman of the State Committee for Information, Communication, of South Ossetia, Alan Kotayev, Deputy Mayor of Tskhinvali, Vadim Tskhovrebov, Director of a bread-baking plant. They are believed to have a group of wealthy and authoritative  individuals with interest in preserving the status quo in the republic.

The three candidates are to take Anatoly Bibilov's voters away fearing changes in financial control with arrival of a candidate supported by the Kremlin. Moscow wants Bibilov to monitor over financial support it provides. Russia will continue financing investment programs in 2012 and 2013 without reduction of volumes. South Ossetia will receive some 6 billion rubles in 2012, Russian Deputy Minister for Regional Development Sergey Vereshagin has recently said on visit to Tskhinvali.

A rough counter-corruption program developed by Bibilov's team gives hope for clarity of financing of South Ossetian economy and use of funds. Observers say Bibilov uses ideas proposed by leaders of opposition movements and unregistered candidates for president. South Ossetia may actually be polarized.

Realization of the program would benefit Tskhinvali. Officially Moscow does not interfere in the campaigning process. South Ossetian communists support Bibilov as well. Stanislav Kochiyev, communist leader, says Bibilov could unite all forces in the republic and change the staff policy which is currently based on personal loyalty, rather than personal qualities. Kochiyev pointed out a line that separates candidates supported by the current authorities and those that lack it. Bibilov is between the two groups. Although he is an executive authority, the executives do not want to aid him because he is not among the president's supporters.

Bibilov's views are not too far apart from the government's approach to key issues. He is still a functionary. But he seems to have a better vision for need to change the state of affairs. South Ossetia has lost the recovery rate and  is stuck in red tape and corruption. "We paid a very high price for victory and deserve more than we got today", says Bibilov. South Ossetia "needs a push" that is why he called his program "the Ossetian breakthrough". Would Bibilov be able to realize the counter-corruption program is a question. Polls say his rating is sustainably high, he has all chances to win the first round of vote.

11.11.2011 / Author: Yekaterina Tesemnikova, Alexey Vlasov. Exclusively for VK