On June 7, the South Ossetian legislature confirmed Piotr Gasiev as the head of the region’s 34-member legislature. 

45-year old Gasiev, who entered the region’s parliament in 2014, was nominated for the post by the United Ossetia party, which runs a 20-seat majority in the legislature.

21 of 32 attending parliament members endorsed his candidacy. Five votes went to Boris Tasoev, Gasiev’s only rival, while four parliamentarians voted against both candidates and two ballots were recognized as invalid.

Piotr Gasiev (b. 1972, Tskhinvali) previously worked as a journalist for the Russian NTV television channel and Tskhinvali’s local TV station IR. 

Gasiev’s election comes less than two weeks after Anatoly Bibilov, the new Tskhinvali leader, filled seven ministerial posts in the region’s 12-member cabinet of ministers on May 25. 

Dmitry Medoev, the region’s new foreign affairs minister, served as Tskhinvali’s ambassador to Russia in 2009-2015; Alan Tadtaev, new emergency situations minister, served as the deputy minister since 2014; Zalina Lalieva, new justice minister, worked as a lawyer in the region’s legislature since 2005; Zhanna Zasseeva, new culture minister, served as the president’s adviser since 2005; Gennady Kokoev, new economy minister, held the same post in 2001-2003.

Aza Khabalova and Natali Gasieva, ministers of finance and education also appointed by Tibilov on May 25, have served on their posts since 2012 and 2015, respectively.

No other ministerial appointments have been made yet, with acting heads running the rest of the ministries as of June 7.