South Ossetian Parliament voted against the dismissal of Supreme Court Chairman Atsamaz Bichenov and Prosecutor General Taimuraz Khugayev on Wednesday.
Former President of the republic Eduard Kokoity signed an agreement with the opposition on Saturday, on the eve of his retirement, submitting to parliament the resignations of Bichenov and Khugayev.
Resignation of Prosecutor General supported 15 deputies and 15 were against, one ballot was spoiled. A simple majority vote had to be taken to make the decision. 22 deputies voted against the resignation of Supreme Court Chairman, eight agreed with the resignation and one ballot was also flawed.
“I think this is a sign of confidence in my work,” Bichenov said after the parliament meeting.
The situation in restive South Ossetia, which declared independence from Georgia in 2008, 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.
Supporters of Dzhioyeva, who has declared herself president despite the court’s ruling, have been holding demonstrations on the main square of the republic’s capital Tskhinvali ever since.
In exchange for Kokoity’s resignation, Dzhioyeva has agreed to urge her supporters to go home.
Prior to resigning, Kokoity announced the appointment of Eldar Kokoyev as a justice on the Constitutional Court. Kokoyev lost his position as deputy prosecutor general under the deal with the opposition.
