On November 27th South Ossetia is holding the second round of the presidential elections. Two candidates are fighting for the position of the republic’s head: a trooper, veteran officer andhead of the Emergency Ministry of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, and a retiree, the former Education Minister Alla Dzhioyeva.
Bibilov’s team includes people who fought for the freedom and independence of South Ossetia. They stand for fighting corruption, increasing the effectiveness of the work of the administrative bodies and the further development of South Ossetia. Alla Dzhioyeva is supported mainly by supporters of the head coach of the Russian Freestyle Wrestling National Team, Dzambalat Tedeyev.
Analysis of the first round showed that the crucial point of the internal political situation is a fight between three elite groups: supporters of the current president of the republic Eduard Kokoyty, supporters of Dzambolat Tedeyev, and supporters of the first president of South Ossetia Ludwig Chibirov. These three entites have difficult relations with each other, which are based on a classic conflict of interests.
The current situation confirms the views of some Russian experts that democracy in the Caucasus is a civilized cover for inter-clan wars, settling accounts with criminal groups, and the rise to power of many negatively-motivated people.
It is obvious that a win for Alla Dzhoyeva would lead to property redistribution. This quarreling could involve supporters of Chibirov, who have claims for both sides for the developments of 2001-2002. Quarreling won’t remain confined to the territory of South Ossetia and will spread to North Ossetia, as happened in the 1990s-2000s. Tskhinvali is afraid that Georgia will take advantage of the situation and raise the question of launching NATO peacekeeping troops into the territory of South Ossetia.
Only a person unconnected with any of the three groups and has the support and trust of the main ally of South Ossetia - Russia - is able to prevent South Ossetia from internal civil strife.
Most experts consider Anatoly Bibilov to be such a person. He hasn’t been involved in any corruption scandal or financial manipulation. He is oriented towards establishing a team of patriots and professionals. This enables him to rise above the current contradictions and stop the internal conflicts which have taken the lives of the best sons of South Ossetia for 20 years.
The election program of Bibilov contains ideas of ordering and consolidating society and establishing conditions for the return of people who have left South Ossetia several years ago.
South Ossetian voters face a difficult choice, on which the fate of the republic depends. Emotions cannot help in making the right choice. A new president should be a person of the future, not of the past. It seems Anatoly Bibilov is the only candidate who can consolidate the torn society, provide internal political stability and security and guarantee quick and effective reconstruction of infrastructure and further development.
