2024 South Ossetian parliamentary election

2024 South Ossetian parliamentary election

9 June 2024

All 34 seats in Parliament 18 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader Current seats United Ossetia Alan Tadtaev 9 For Justice Harry Muldarov 6 Nykhaz Zita Besayeva 4 Unity of the People Vladimir Kelekhsaev 3 HIKP Stanislav Kochiev 2 People's Party Sergei Kharebov 2 Independents – 8 Incumbent Prime Minister Konstantin Dzhussoev Independent

Parliamentary elections were held in South Ossetia on 9 June 2024 to determine the composition of the South Ossetian Parliament, the legislature of the partially recognized Caucasian Republic of South Ossetia, which most of the United Nations recognizes as part of Georgia. In the 2022 presidential elections South Ossetia's opposition came to power for the first time since 2012, however, the government has been plagued by scandals.

The current government of South Ossetia is a minority government led by Nykhaz, in coalition with the People's Party of South Ossetia and the Unity of the People party, as well as a number of independents.

Background

Main articles: 2024 Georgian parliamentary election and Alan Gagloev § Presidency

2024 is proving to be a pivotal year in the south Caucasus, namely due to the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh resolving the longstanding Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, allowing for normalization between Russia and Turkey, meaning that there will likely be a reduction, or even removal, of Russian peacekeepers from the region altogether. Additionally, Russia has been using a softer approach regarding South Ossetia when compared to Abkhazia, hoping that this will allow for easier harmonization with the Georgian government, which has been notably more conciliatory towards Russia in recent years. Namely, Russia is seemingly supportive of a softer, less Russophilic, South Ossetia if it means a détente with the Georgian Dream-led Georgia. However, should Georgian Dream lose the October Georgian election, this would likely result in the new Georgian government to rally towards the return of control of their borders and evict Russia and their separatists from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, several high ranking South Ossetian officials have been in talks with the Russian government regarding the annexation of South Ossetia should Georgia dramatically move in a pro-western direction.

Alan Gagloev has been the President of South Ossetia since his election in 2022. Gagloev, president of the Nykhaz party, was a leading figure of the South Ossetian opposition, characterized for their more pragmatic approach with Russia and the support of domestic economic ventures. However, parliament remained under control of Gagloev's opposition, the South Ossetian political establishment, United Ossetia. Gagloyev is facing opposition from both the Russian government and the South Ossetian public due to Gagloyev's scandalous cabinet which has failed to resolve, and worsened, many of the republic's economic problems. However, the Russian government remains non-committal in their opposition, as Gagloyev has been supportive of South Ossetians fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with by the end of 2023, hundreds of South Ossetians dying in battle there. Pundits from the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (CACI) have speculated that Russia is going to have to make the choice to either support Gagloyev and redirect funds from the Russian Invasion of Ukraine to keep South Ossetia supportive of the war effort. Or oppose Gagloyev for a more traditional South Ossetian government at the cost of South Ossetia's aid in the war. Additionally, CACI speculated on a third outcome, a status quo, which would cripple the Republic until the 2027 South Ossetian presidential election and could spell total political collapse.

New parties

Since the 2019 election, and namely with Gagloev reverting many of the restrictive election laws, seven new political parties were created to compete in the 2024 election. These include:

• For Justice led by Harry Muldarov
• Iron led by Georgiy Kabisov
• Patriots of Alanya led by Dzambolat Tedeev (Merged into People's Party on April 6, 2024)

International reactions

• Abkhazia: Deputy Chairman of the People's Assembly – Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia Committee on International, Inter-parliamentary Relations and Relations with Compatriots "The elections are being held within the framework of the law, no any violations have been identified. There is very high organization at the polling stations. Falsifications and any manipulations are impossible, because observers from each party are represented at the polling stations, each of whom signs on the back of the ballots. Everything is very transparent".
• Azerbaijan: MFA of Azerbaijan "reaffirms its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and does not recognize the so-called “parliamentary elections”
• Estonia: MFA of Estonia "condemns the illegitimate parliamentary elections in #Georgia’s South Ossetia region."
• Georgia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemned "so called elections", stated that it "blatantly violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders."
• Iceland: MFA of Iceland "unequivocally condemns the sham "parliamentary elections" in Georgia’s occupied South Ossetia"
• Latvia: MFA of Latvia stated that "Latvia condemns and does not recognise holding of the so-called parliamentary elections under Russia’s occupation on 9 June in Georgia’s region of South Ossetia. Latvia strongly supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised border".
• Lithuania: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania published the statement of Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis who "condemns the so-called "parliamentary elections" in occupied Georgia's Tskhinvali region"
• Sweden: MFA of Sweden "does not recognise the so-called ‘parliamentary elections’ held in the Georgian region of South Ossetia on 9 June. Sweden fully supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
• United Kingdom: Embassy of UK in Georgia stated that UK doesn't recognize legitimacy of "so called" elections and continues to support Georgia's territorial integrity and soveregnity within its internationally recognised border.