Alan Eduardovich Gagloev (Ossetian: Гаглойты Эдуарды фырт Алан, romanized: Gaglojty Edwardy fyrt Alan; Russian: Алан Эдуардович Гаглоев; born 6 February 1981), also transliterated as Gagloyev, is a South Ossetian politician and former intelligence officer, who is the fifth and current president of South Ossetia since 2022.
[7] Prior to the run-off, Gagloev received endorsements from the three candidates eliminated in the first round, Alexandr Pliyev, Garri Muldarov, and Dmitry Tasoyev, heading into the runoff against Bibilov.
[14][15] The Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov further stated on 24 May that in regards to the referendum, "No steps are being taken or planned by the Russian side connected with this.
[22] In October 2023, Gagloev supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling it a "Special military operation" and South Ossetia's "joint goal" with Russia.
[23] In March 2024, Georgia's Interpress News claimed that in 2023 President Gagloev expressed hope that the "republic" would join Russia soon.
[26] While still campaigning, Gagloev visited the Akhalgori Municipality, which has a substantial Georgian population, and urged support for allowing residents to travel to Georgia more freely.
After assuming office, Gagloev received criticism from Russian news anchor Sergey Karnaukhov for dismissing the referendum to join Russia as well as supporting easier travel to Georgia, accusing him of being an American and Georgian asset.
[28] Gagloev was subject to another scandal when he appointed Anatoly Pliyev as the Secretary of the Security Council when it was revealed that Pliyev had met with Ilia II of Georgia, which had been denounced by prior South Ossetian governments as “the ideologist of Georgian fascism” who “blessed Georgians to kill Ossetians.” However, this also caused tension in Georgia, as Georgian businessman, Gocha Dzasokhashvili, who previously headed the Assembly of the Peoples of Georgia in Russia, brokered the meeting between Pliyev and Ilia.
[29] After spending his entire political career up to his election as an opposition figure against the repressive government of Anatoly Bibilov, who used his office of president to crush political dissident and shut down opposition parties, including Gagloev's own Alanian Union, Gagloev is now using his power as president to target Bibilov and his supporters ahead of the 2024 elections.
The government cited an overall downturn in the South Ossetian economy as it seeks fiscal independence, however, Gagloev's opposition claims that he's pocketing the money to use in the 2024 elections as a campaign chest.
[33] Gagloev named Konstantin Dzhussoev, who holds a monopoly on South Ossetia's construction industry, as his Prime Minister who has no experience with either politics or working in government.
[29] The aforementioned Anatoly Pliyev was named minister of the security council, and one of his first acts was dismissing the head of the State Security Committee, Major General Vladimir Khubaev, and his deputy Vasily Guliyev without giving a reason and named his close personal friend Alexander Tuaev as the new chairman.
[29] Gagloev has also dismissed all four district heads, meaning that South Ossetia's devolved local governments have not been functioning since he took power.
[34] In 2023 South Ossetia would be embroiled in a crisis due to Gagloev and his customs minister, Alexander Chochiev, ending import/export duties with the Russian Republic, but with price of goods not decreasing.
[35] Additionally, Chochiev would strictly enforce preexisting import bans on some commodities, namely juice and soda and other sugary drinks, which led to discontent among the public.