Alan Gagloev
Гаглойты Алан
Gagloev in 2023
President of South Ossetia
Assumed office
24 May 2022
Prime MinisterGennady Bekoyev
Konstantin Dzhussoev
Preceded byAnatoly Bibilov
Chairman of Nykhaz
In office
February 2020 – February 2023
Preceded byDavid Sanakoev
Succeeded byZita Besayeva
Chairman of Alanian Union
In office
September 2017 – January 2019
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byposition abolished
Personal details
Born (1981-02-06) 6 February 1981
Tskhinvali, South Ossetian AO, Georgian SSR, USSR
Political partyNykhaz
Children2
Alma materSouth Ossetian State University
OccupationPolitician

Alan Eduardovich Gagloev (Ossetian: Гаглойты Эдуарды фырт Алан, romanized: Gaglojty Edwardy fyrt Alan; Russian: Алан Эдуардович Гаглоев; born 6 February 1981), also transliterated as Gagloyev, is a South Ossetian politician and former intelligence officer, who is the current president of South Ossetia since 2022.[1][2] He also served as chairman of the Nykhaz party from 2020 to 2023.[3]

Early life

Alan Gagloev was born on 6 February 1981, in Tskhinvali.[3] He graduated from the South Ossetian State University in 2002[3] and was hired by the Ministry of Economic Development of South Ossetia as the chief specialist of the department for supporting small and medium-sized businesses.[4]

He fought in the Russo-Georgian War in 2008.[3] During the war, Gagloev's family "suffered heavy losses".[5]

2017 presidential campaign and joining Nykhaz

He ran unsuccessfully for president of South Ossetia in 2017, losing to Anatoly Bibilov.[6] After his loss, he announced the creation of his own political party, the Alanian Union in September 2017. However, in May 2018, the South Ossetian Ministry of Justice refused to register the party. In January 2019, the Alanian Union joined New Ossetia who merged with the party Nykhaz. Gagloev went on to be elected chairman of Nykhaz in February 2020.[3]

2022 presidential campaign

Gagloev ran for president a second time in the 2022 election. On 10 April 2022, he won the first round with 36.9% of the vote, passing incumbent president Anatoly Bibilov.[7] Prior to the run-off, Gagloev received endorsements from the three candidates eliminated in the first round, Alexandr Pliyev, Garri Muldarov, and Dmitry Tasoyev, heading into the runoff against Bibilov.[8] Bibilov had been endorsed by United Russia, the ruling party of Russia.[9]

Gagloev defeated Bibilov in the run-off with 56.08% of the vote on 8 May 2022.[1] Bibilov admitted defeat in the elections, congratulated Gagloev and wished him "successful work for the good of the people".[10]

Presidency

Following his election, he was sworn in as the new president on 24 May 2022.[11] Domestically, Gagloev said the main issue of his presidency would be taking steps to improve the economy.[12] Zita Besayeva was elected to replace him as leader of Nykhaz in February 2023.[13]

Relations with Russia

Gagloev was seen by observers as being less supportive of holding a referendum to join Russia, saying that Russia was "still busy with other issues," in reference to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14][15] The Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov further stated on 24 May that in regards to the referendum, "No steps are being taken or planned by the Russian side connected with this."[12] On 30 May 2022, he suspended the referendum called by his predecessor Bibilov until consultations with Russia are complete.[16]

On 12 August 2022, Gagloev dismissed defense minister Vladimir Pukhaev due to an incident on 23 July 2022, which involved masked servicemen of the defense minister assaulting civilians in various locations throughout the region.[17] Gagloev would assert his "supreme authority" over the armed forces after these events.[18] This is after his predecessor had allowed parts of the South Ossetian military to be under the authority of the Russian army, as well as a large desertion by South Ossetians in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[19][20] During the early parts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of Russians fled the country to South Ossetia to avoid being drafted. Gagloev's government cooperated with Russian authorities to create screening centers on the border to make sure the drafted or eligible for the draft don't get into the country. However, the policy was ended in October 2022 after only 120 draft dodgers where caught, of an estimated immigrant population of 78,000.[21]

On March 12, 2023, Gagloev personally awarded Ramzan Kadyrov's daughter Aishat Kadyrova, the South Ossetian Order of Friendship, stating that she had worked tirelessly to improve bilateral relations with Chechnya and South Ossetia.[22]

Relations with Georgia

While still campaigning, Gagloev visited the Akhalgori Municipality, which has a substantial Georgian population, and urged support for allowing residents to travel to Georgia more freely. This had previously not been possible without medical documentation, and was further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. After assuming office, Gagloev received criticism from Russian news anchor Sergey Karnaukhov for dismissing the referendum to join Russia as well as supporting easier travel to Georgia, accusing him of being an American and Georgian asset.[23] The governments of both Georgia and South Ossetia denied these claims. Beginning in August 2022, South Ossetia announced it would open checkpoints with Georgia from the 20th to the 30th of each month.[24]

Domestic policy

After spending his entire political career up to his election as an opposition figure against the repressive government of Anatoly Bibilov, who used his office of president to crush political dissident and shut down opposition parties, including Gagloev's own Alanian Union, Gagloev is now using his power as president to target Bibilov and his supporters ahead of the 2024 elections.[25] Oleg Gagloev, Alan Gagloev's minister of justice, stated that Bibilov's party, United Ossetia, might be suspended due to failing to properly fill out campaign finance forms at the end of 2022 after multiple warnings. United Ossetia's chairman, and speaker of Parliament Alan Tadtaev, called the threats "stupid" as suspending United Ossetia would cause a governmental collapse as United Ossetia has 14 of the 34 seats in Parliament.[26] Tadtaev would be pressured to resign as speaker shortly after and was replaced by Alan Alborov, a member of Gagloev's Nykhaz.[27]

As part of his presidential campaign, Alan Gagloev promised a pay increase to transportation and hospital workers. However, once in office, these pay raises never came. The government cited an overall downturn in the South Ossetian economy as it seeks fiscal independence, however, Gagloev's opposition claims that he's pocketing the money to use in the 2024 elections as a campaign chest.[28]

Personal life

Gagloev is married and has two children.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Бибилов признал поражение во втором туре выборов президента Южной Осетии". РИА Новости (in Russian). 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Непростой кандидат". Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alan Gagloyev: Candidate for President of South Ossetia. Elections 2022". IA Res (in Russian). 20 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 Узел, Кавказский. "Гаглоев Алан Эдуардович". Кавказский Узел. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "🎥 Alan Gagloev is not an agent of Georgia and the USA – Tskhinvali". pia.ge. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "On the New "President" of South Ossetia". Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Opposition Candidate Takes Lead in First Round of S. Ossetia Polls". Civil.ge. 14 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "Reports: Runoff Expected in S. Ossetia". Civil.ge. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "Russian ruling party endorsed Bibilov for re-election in separatist Tskhinvali". Caucasus Watch. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Поздравляю Алана Гаглоева с победой – Бибилов". 15-Й РЕГИОН (in Russian). 8 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Joshua Kucera (24 May 2022). "New South Ossetian leader takes office". EurasiaNet. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  12. 1 2 Joshua Kucera (24 May 2022). "New South Ossetian leader takes office". EurasiaNet. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Югоосетинская партия «Ныхас» избрала себе нового лидера (South Ossetian Nykhas party elects new leader)". IA Res (in Russian). 3 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Opposition leader wins first round in South Ossetia presidential poll". OC Media. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Tskhinvali Leadership Hopeful Shows Cautious Stance on Annexation". Civil.ge. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Georgian breakaway territory suspends announced referendum on joining Russia – decree". Reuters. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "Tskhinvali Leader Dismisses Defense Head". Civil.ge. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Алан Гаглоев: "Никому не позволено нарушать закон"" (in Russian).
  19. ↑ "Putin approves army deal with Georgia's South Ossetia". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Ball, Tom. "Deserting South Ossetian troops hitchhike home in 'mass mutiny'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "Russia Closes Mobilization Screening Checkpoint at Georgia Border". Moscow Times. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  22. ↑ "Kadyrov boasts of his daughter's award from president of South Ossetia". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  23. ↑ "Controversy as Russian Anchor Claims Gagloev Serves Georgian, U.S. Interests". Civil.ge. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  24. ↑ "South Ossetia to partially reopen crossing points for Akhalgori Georgians". OC Media. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Tarkhanova, Zhanna. "Experts predict a new round of struggle for power in South Ossetia". jam-news.net. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  26. ↑ Tarkhanova, Zhanna. "South Ossetian authorities trying to shut down only opposition party". jam-news.net. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  27. ↑ "New Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia's criminal past". JAM News. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  28. ↑ Tarkhanova, Zhanna. "Strikes in South Ossetia: drivers and hospital staff haven't received salaries for several months". jam-news.net. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
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