Tuesday, July 24, 2007, #139 (1406)

South Ossetians Tell Kokoity “Farewell!”
By Eter Tsotniashvili

“Kokoity-Fandarast!”, Ossetian for “Farewell, Kokoity!”, is the slogan of a new campaign to pressure de facto president Eduard Kokoity to quit, announced a leader of the South Ossetian People for Peace movement, Vladimir Sanakoyev, on July 22.

“The protests will be peaceful and without any violence,” Sanakoyev declared. He told The Messenger the next day that they are going to distribute leaflets and booklets not only on Georgian-controlled territory but also in Tskhinvali.

Sanakoyev (a second cousin to temporary administrative unit head Dmitry Sanakoyev) says the people of Tskhinvali and Java are in a dreadful situation because they fear Kokoity. He says they live under the control of hostile security forces. The Tskhinvali regime is “leading the people down a blind alley,” he says.

“We warn Kokoity, it’s time for his resignation. This is the only kind thing he can do for the Ossetian people. If you cannot bring kindness to your own people it is better to leave. So today we declare ‘Farewell, Kokoity!’,” Sanakoyev announced at the end of a Monday press conference.

In an interview with The Messenger on Monday, Sanakoyev explained that Kokoity’s promises to South Ossetians were groundless and ordinary people must become aware of that. He said there are forces in South Ossetia which try to continually provoke confrontation as well as trying to turn the youth against Georgia for one purpose, he says—to maintain their power.

“We must inform misled people that Ossetia breaking off from the rest of Georgia is hopeless, even from a legal point of view, and the international community will never accept this. Our actions we will increase the number of our supporters and they will be the ones that will see Kokoity out the door. Kokoity isn’t too excited about leaving on his own,” Sanakoyev says.

He calls their campaign a way to “clear away the clouds above Tskhinvali” with peaceful protests.
In a July 4 interview with Reuters, President Mikheil Saakashvili talked about this peaceful approach of using “soft power” or “people power” as the best way to make breakthroughs in the conflict zones in Georgia. Later in the day while talking to members of the Tbilisi sakrebulo (city council) he cited an incident in South Ossetia on June 28 when a large group of people confronted Russian peacekeepers blocking a road to a Georgian village.

He said, “People there brought roses to soldiers and poured paint on their terrifying armored vehicles,” adding that, “They have achieved their goal through absolutely peaceful actions. This is exactly what will undermine KGB-style methods and illegal jails there,” Civil Georgia quotes him as saying.

At a conference in the Georgian-controlled village of Tamarasheni in South Ossetia over the weekend, about 120 people gathered to talk about the future of the conflict zone. Dmitry Sanakoyev told participants that there were two options: either confrontation, or cooperation and integration into the European family together with Georgia.

“This road is full of challenges, but I am sure Ossetians will overcome all the problems,” he told conference attendees.



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