Eduard Kokoity
Encyclopedia
Eduard Dzhabeyevich Kokoity (Кокойты Джабейы фырт Эдуард, Kokojty Džabejy fyrt Eduard; Эдуард Джабеевич Кокойты; ედუარდ ჯაბეს ძე კოკოითი, Eduard Jabes dze K'ok'oiti; surname also rendered as Kokoyty or Kokoiti or in a Russified
version as Kokoyev) (born 31 October 1964) is the de facto President of South Ossetia
.
at the time. Kokoity was a member, and champion, of the Soviet Union's national wrestling
team. Prior to 1989, he was the First Secretary of the Tskhinvali
branch of the Komsomol
, the Young Communist League. He moved to Moscow in 1992, where he became a businessman, after learning about capitalism. In 2001, he moved back to South Ossetia.
collecting 24%, and incumbent Lyudvig Chibirov collecting 21%. In the Second and final round, he won 53% of the vote to Stanislav Kochiev's 40% on 6 December. Kokoity assumed office on 18 December 2001.
Kokoity's victory was unexpected and owed much to the support of the Tedeyev clan, one of South Ossetia's most powerful families. He had gained key support from Albert "Dik" Tedeyev and his brother Jambulat, also a champion wrestler, who organized and financed Kokoity's election campaign. The clan had previously supported Lyudvig Chibirov, but broke off support for him after he attempted to move against them. After Kokoity was elected president, members of the Tedeyev clan took over responsibility for the republic's customs service and for freight traffic along the Transcaucasian highway. Revenues from the highway provide much of the South Ossetian government's revenue.
In July 2003, Kokoity moved against the Tedeyevs. Sacking Albert Tedeyev, the Secretary of the Security Council, and ordering their private militias to be disarmed. According to Kokoity, the Security Council Secretary, along with the Defense and Security Chiefs had links with criminals. The affair prompted an outbreak of gunfire in Tskhinvali, but no casualties were reported.
, although he has expressed a willingness to negotiate a peace settlement on the basis of South Ossetia being treated as an independent state (a precondition rejected by the Tbilisi
government). Following a tense stand-off with the central Georgian government in July 2004, he claimed "Georgia wants war. But we are ready for self-defense." Prior to the 2006 presidential elections
, he stated that the Georgian-Ossetian conflict was not an inter-ethnic, but clearly a political one caused by Georgia’s desire to impose on Ossetians the norms of Western democracy which could not be superior to the Caucasian traditional laws. He has also criticized the OSCE mission in the region on several occasions, accusing the organization of bias and likening its activities to "that of Georgia's secret services."
He was reelected on 12 November 2006 following the 2006 presidential election
. On the same day, Georgian-backed forces organized an alternative election in the territories controlled by Georgia or only loosely controlled by the South Ossetian government. Dmitry Sanakoyev
, a former prime minister of South Ossetia, who was sacked by Kokoity in 2001, was elected as a rival president.
and argues that South Ossetia
never left the Russian Empire
.
Since December 2008, Kokoity’s former allies have subjected him to heavy criticism in a series of interviews with the Russian media. Kokoity’s erstwhile insider and the Russia-based businessman Albert Dzhussoyev accused the Kokoity administration of hijacking Russian funds meant for South Ossetia and claimed the region was on the brink of a "social catastrophe." Similar charges have been brought by South Ossetia’s former defense minister Anatoly Barankevich and prime minister Oleg Morozov
. Barankevich further claimed that Kokoity had fled Tskhinvali during the 2008 South Ossetia War
and accused him of personally torturing a captured Georgian soldier. South Ossetia’s former interior minister and chair of the supreme court, Alan Parastayev, told the Georgian Imedi TV that Kokoity had organized a series of terrorist attacks and ordered murders for which he blamed Georgia. Representatives of the Kokoity administration dismissed the allegations, claiming these allegations were part of a plot against Kokoity.
On 3 March 2009, the Russian newspaper Kommersant
reported that Kokoity's administration and the Kremlin were at odds over the control of aid funds allocated from Russia's federal budget to South Ossetia and Tskhinvali was at the verge of "social explosion." In May 2009, Albert Dzhussoyev and Dzhabulat Tadeyev (brother of the murdered Ibragim Tadeyev) announced they would seek to organize early presidential elections in order to remove Kokoity whom they accused of authoritarianism, corruption and being “unreliable” for Russia. The first attempt at organizing an Ossetian opposition rally in Moscow was dispersed by the Russian OMON
.
In spring 2010, Kokoity again received lots of criticism, mostly regarding the use of Russian aid. An opinion poll held by the International Center of Political Analysis (MTsPA) showed an approval rating for Kokoity of 12.4%, with 66.3% of respondents having a negative opinion. Kosta Dzugaev
, an advisor to Kokoity, immediately blasted the poll as "lies", claiming the MTsPA had never actually done any research in South Ossetia. The MTsPA has been linked to Prime Minister Vadim Brovtsev
, who is himself under attack for mismanaging Russian funds.
Kokoity has been accused of widespread human rights violations and atrocities against opposition members, Georgian citizens and Ossetians who were accused of selling information to the Georgian government. He once stated that those people "deserved to be sliced with a jigsaw while still alive".
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
version as Kokoyev) (born 31 October 1964) is the de facto President of South Ossetia
President of South Ossetia
The President of the Republic of South Ossetia is the de facto head of state of the partially recognized Republic of South Ossetia that is de jure part of Georgia...
.
Early life
Eduard Kokoity was born on 31 October 1964 in Tskhinvali, in the Georgian SSR, a part of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
at the time. Kokoity was a member, and champion, of the Soviet Union's national wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team. Prior to 1989, he was the First Secretary of the Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali , is the capital of South Ossetia, a disputed region which has been recognised as an independent Republic by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and is regarded by Georgia and the rest of the world as part of the Shida Kartli region within Georgian sovereign territory.It is located...
branch of the Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
, the Young Communist League. He moved to Moscow in 1992, where he became a businessman, after learning about capitalism. In 2001, he moved back to South Ossetia.
2001 Presidential Election
Kokoity was elected president, at the age of 38, with a majority in the presidential elections of November–December 2001. In the first round of the elections on 18 November 2001, he collected 45% of the vote, with Stanislav KochievStanislav Kochiev
Stanislav Jakovlevich Kochiev |Kurta]], Tskhinvali district, South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union), is a South Ossetian politician, who is a former presidential candidate and currently the chairman of the Parliament of South Ossetia.Kochiev was born in Kurta, and went to...
collecting 24%, and incumbent Lyudvig Chibirov collecting 21%. In the Second and final round, he won 53% of the vote to Stanislav Kochiev's 40% on 6 December. Kokoity assumed office on 18 December 2001.
Kokoity's victory was unexpected and owed much to the support of the Tedeyev clan, one of South Ossetia's most powerful families. He had gained key support from Albert "Dik" Tedeyev and his brother Jambulat, also a champion wrestler, who organized and financed Kokoity's election campaign. The clan had previously supported Lyudvig Chibirov, but broke off support for him after he attempted to move against them. After Kokoity was elected president, members of the Tedeyev clan took over responsibility for the republic's customs service and for freight traffic along the Transcaucasian highway. Revenues from the highway provide much of the South Ossetian government's revenue.
In July 2003, Kokoity moved against the Tedeyevs. Sacking Albert Tedeyev, the Secretary of the Security Council, and ordering their private militias to be disarmed. According to Kokoity, the Security Council Secretary, along with the Defense and Security Chiefs had links with criminals. The affair prompted an outbreak of gunfire in Tskhinvali, but no casualties were reported.
President
Kokoity has taken a strong position against reunification with GeorgiaGeorgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, although he has expressed a willingness to negotiate a peace settlement on the basis of South Ossetia being treated as an independent state (a precondition rejected by the Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
government). Following a tense stand-off with the central Georgian government in July 2004, he claimed "Georgia wants war. But we are ready for self-defense." Prior to the 2006 presidential elections
South Ossetian presidential election, 2006
A presidential election in South Ossetia, an unrecognized republic within Georgia, was held on November 12, 2006, coinciding with the South Ossetian independence referendum. Incumbent Eduard Kokoity was seeking a second full five-year term. He was re-elected with more than 98.1%...
, he stated that the Georgian-Ossetian conflict was not an inter-ethnic, but clearly a political one caused by Georgia’s desire to impose on Ossetians the norms of Western democracy which could not be superior to the Caucasian traditional laws. He has also criticized the OSCE mission in the region on several occasions, accusing the organization of bias and likening its activities to "that of Georgia's secret services."
He was reelected on 12 November 2006 following the 2006 presidential election
South Ossetian presidential election, 2006
A presidential election in South Ossetia, an unrecognized republic within Georgia, was held on November 12, 2006, coinciding with the South Ossetian independence referendum. Incumbent Eduard Kokoity was seeking a second full five-year term. He was re-elected with more than 98.1%...
. On the same day, Georgian-backed forces organized an alternative election in the territories controlled by Georgia or only loosely controlled by the South Ossetian government. Dmitry Sanakoyev
Dmitry Sanakoyev
Dmitry Ivanovich Sanakoyev is a South Ossetian and Georgian politician, a former official in the secessionist government of South Ossetia and currently Head of the Provisional Administration of South Ossetia, a rival entity established in 2007 in the Georgian-controlled territories of this...
, a former prime minister of South Ossetia, who was sacked by Kokoity in 2001, was elected as a rival president.
Controversy
On 11 September 2008 Kokoity stated that independent South Ossetia would eventually become part of the Russian Federation, a claim that was quickly denied by Russian officials and shortly thereafter retracted by Kokoity. Kokoity is a EurasianistEurasianists
Eurasianism is a political movement within the primarily Russian emigre community.-Early 20th century:Eurasianists was a political movement in the Russian emigre community in the 1920s...
and argues that South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
never left the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Since December 2008, Kokoity’s former allies have subjected him to heavy criticism in a series of interviews with the Russian media. Kokoity’s erstwhile insider and the Russia-based businessman Albert Dzhussoyev accused the Kokoity administration of hijacking Russian funds meant for South Ossetia and claimed the region was on the brink of a "social catastrophe." Similar charges have been brought by South Ossetia’s former defense minister Anatoly Barankevich and prime minister Oleg Morozov
Oleg Morozov
Oleg Morozov may refer to:* Oleg Slaviyevich Morozov , Russian footballer* Oleg Morozov , Soviet international footballer...
. Barankevich further claimed that Kokoity had fled Tskhinvali during the 2008 South Ossetia War
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
and accused him of personally torturing a captured Georgian soldier. South Ossetia’s former interior minister and chair of the supreme court, Alan Parastayev, told the Georgian Imedi TV that Kokoity had organized a series of terrorist attacks and ordered murders for which he blamed Georgia. Representatives of the Kokoity administration dismissed the allegations, claiming these allegations were part of a plot against Kokoity.
On 3 March 2009, the Russian newspaper Kommersant
Kommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
reported that Kokoity's administration and the Kremlin were at odds over the control of aid funds allocated from Russia's federal budget to South Ossetia and Tskhinvali was at the verge of "social explosion." In May 2009, Albert Dzhussoyev and Dzhabulat Tadeyev (brother of the murdered Ibragim Tadeyev) announced they would seek to organize early presidential elections in order to remove Kokoity whom they accused of authoritarianism, corruption and being “unreliable” for Russia. The first attempt at organizing an Ossetian opposition rally in Moscow was dispersed by the Russian OMON
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
.
In spring 2010, Kokoity again received lots of criticism, mostly regarding the use of Russian aid. An opinion poll held by the International Center of Political Analysis (MTsPA) showed an approval rating for Kokoity of 12.4%, with 66.3% of respondents having a negative opinion. Kosta Dzugaev
Kosta Dzugaev
Kosta Georgievich Dzugaev , is a South Ossetian politician, who is a former chairman of the Parliament of South Ossetia.Dzugaev was born in Tskhinvali in 1956. His father was the late writer Georgij Hasakoevich Dzugaev; his mother is Fatima Alihanovna Kaloeva...
, an advisor to Kokoity, immediately blasted the poll as "lies", claiming the MTsPA had never actually done any research in South Ossetia. The MTsPA has been linked to Prime Minister Vadim Brovtsev
Vadim Brovtsev
Vadim Vladimirovich Brovtsev is a Russian businessman who has been Prime Minister of the Republic of South Ossetia since 5 August 2009.Brovtsev had served in the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces...
, who is himself under attack for mismanaging Russian funds.
Kokoity has been accused of widespread human rights violations and atrocities against opposition members, Georgian citizens and Ossetians who were accused of selling information to the Georgian government. He once stated that those people "deserved to be sliced with a jigsaw while still alive".