The resignation of Alan Gagloev, the leader of partially recognized South Ossetia, announced on June 23, was linked to stagnation in the republic. That is what a Kremlin source told Kommersant, according to the newspaper.
The source said that “the time has come to resolve the strategic question of the status and further development of South Ossetia.” He added that the territory should be brought out of its enclave position as quickly as possible in political, social, and economic terms.
“It is necessary to get out of the enclave situation as quickly as possible politically, socially, and economically. For this purpose, the Constitution has been changed, and the residency requirement for representatives of the highest state bodies has been revised,” the source said.
The same source added that Gagloev’s move to the post of adviser to Vladimir Putin should be seen both as a resignation and as a promotion.
Constitutional changes
As Kommersant notes, amendments to the constitution of the partially recognized republic were adopted in late May. The main change was the easing of the ten-year residency requirement for public service positions.
From now on, that period also includes permanent residence in Russia, provided the person held a state position during that time. The amendments were introduced after Putin and Gagloev signed an agreement on “deepening allied cooperation.”
The document formalizes economic, military-political, social, and energy integration. Among other things, these changes allowed Gagloev himself to become an adviser to Putin, while First Vice President and Kurchatov Institute research center director Marat Kambolov first became an adviser to the head of South Ossetia and then prime minister of the partially recognized republic.