Outgoing South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity on Wednesday dismissed a number of high-ranking officials, the presidential and governmental press service reported.
“Education and Science Minister Aryana Dzhioyeva, Health Minister Otari Gassiyev, state information and communications committee chairman Georgy Kabisov, Tskhinvali administration head Gerasim Khugayev were fired” along with other officials, the press service said.
New officials are expected to be appointed to the posts on Thursday.
“While realizing their blunders and mistakes, the [South Ossetian] authorities intend to get rid of corrupt leaders and other state officials who discredited themselves and the republic,” Aslambek Aslakhanov, a member of the Russian Federation Council’s international affairs committee, said.
The situation in restive South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia, heated up after opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva won the November 27 runoff against a Kremlin-backed rival, according to preliminary results. Two days later, the republic's Supreme Court annulled the voting results, citing violations.
