De facto South Ossetia prepares for early presidential elections - DRI

According to the assessment of the Institute for the Study of Democracy (DRI), early presidential elections scheduled for September 18, 2026 in de facto South Ossetia will be held against the backdrop of further strengthening of Russian political influence in the region.

The parliament of the de facto republic made the decision to hold early elections on July 1, after President Alan Gagloev terminated his powers early. Later, by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gagloev was appointed an advisor to the Russian President, and in accordance with the constitution of de facto South Ossetia, the chairman of the government, Marat Kambolov, was entrusted with the performance of the duties of the president.

According to DRI, in parallel with the appointment of the elections, the positions of both the ruling political forces and the opposition parties have already been outlined.

One of the first political parties to announce its plans was the Republican Socialist Party of Irony. According to the party leader, Giorgi Kabisov, the General Council unanimously decided to participate in the elections. According to him, the party will hold a pre-election congress by July 30 and nominate its presidential candidate. In addition, representatives of Irony called on the de facto Central Election Commission and all parties participating in the elections to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.

The ruling party, Unity, has openly supported the acting president, Marat Kambolov. According to the party, its support is based on both an assessment of the challenges facing the republic and the need to continue its course of integration with the Russian Federation.

DRI draws special attention to the fact that the “Unity” statement emphasizes the importance of the agreement signed on May 9, 2026, which, according to the party, serves to deepen allied cooperation between Russia and South Ossetia, create new opportunities for social and economic development, and strengthen security guarantees.

In the same statement, Marat Kambolov is presented as an experienced statesman, with special emphasis on his many years of work in the federal state structures of Russia.

According to DRI, it is Kambolov’s political biography that distinguishes him from the previous leaders of de facto South Ossetia. Although Eduard Kokoity, Leonid Tibilov, Anatoly Bibilov, and Alan Gagloev pursued a pro-Russian political course at different times and had close ties to Moscow, their political careers were mainly connected with South Ossetia. In Kambolov’s case, a significant part of his professional activity was in the Russian civil service.

According to the institute, given the current political configuration, Marat Kambolov is considered the most realistic candidate for the presidential elections and, at the same time, can become one of the main instruments for further strengthening Moscow’s influence.

As the DRI notes, the pre-election process is currently only at its initial stage. In the coming weeks, after the official nomination of candidates and the start of the election campaign, it will become clearer which political forces will participate in the elections. However, according to the institute, the current political processes suggest that the Kremlin’s influence on the election results will be decisive.