Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of March 9-15

Anti-crisis plan submitted by Georgia's Govt and failure of discussing thereof at Parliament; no-confidence vote of South-Ossetian Parliament to MFA head Sanakoev; appointment of Oleg Polumordvinov as Astrakhan city manager; start of trial of terror act in Pyatigorsk, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of March 9-15, 2015, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

In Georgia, Government presents its anti-crisis plan, but its discussion by Parliament fails

On March 10, President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili decreed to convoke, on March 13, an extraordinary session of the Parliament to discuss the economic situation in the country, is demanded by oppositional MPs. However, on that day no debates took place because of absence of quorum.

The day before, a discussion of the Georgia's economic situation was held at a sitting of the parliamentary committee for branch economy and economic policy. The Ministers of Economy and Sustainable Development and of Finance Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Nodar Khaduri reported that the authorities were going to step up the work on privatization and attracting investments into the country. Giorgi Kadagidze, the President of the National Bank of Georgia, rejected the suggestion that the depreciation of the lari was caused by an increase in the stock of money. The ministers' reports were criticized by oppositional MPs, who stated that "the government had no anti-crisis plan."

Foreign Minister of South Ossetia receives vote of non-confidence from parliament

On March 13, the Parliament of South Ossetia issued a vote of no confidence to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) David Sanakoev. The fact that the parliament can impeach Foreign Minister, said in January speaker Anatoly Bibilov after January 17 without the consent of the Political Council under President David Sanakoev published the draft treaty on alliance and integration with Russia, which sought representatives of the seven parties in South Ossetia. According to Bibilov, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a serious mistake, which resulted in the "public split within the republic."

Another claim to the Minister was his failure to present the credentials by the ambassador of South Ossetia to Venezuela and Nicaragua after these countries had recognized the independence of South Ossetia, as well as the absence of work towards establishing diplomatic relations with the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, which had been recognized by South Ossetia. Sanakoev has treated the no-confidence vote against him as political pressure on those who do not share the position of the "United Ossetia" Party.

Oleg Polumordvinov appointed city manager of Astrakhan

On March 12, the City Duma of Astrakhan voted in favour of the appointment of Oleg Polumordvinov, earlier the deputy chairman of the regional government, to the post of the city manager. Oleg Shein, the head of the local branch of the "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia) Party, failed to reach the voting at the Duma. Polumordvinov will work in the post of the city manager of Astrakhan for four years. The appointment of the city manager in the regional centre, where Elena Simeonova was elected to be the Mayor on February 18, became possible after the adoption of amendments to the city charter, which abolished the post of the Mayor.

Stavropol Territory starts trial of the terror act in Pyatigorsk

The Pyatigorsk Garrison Military Court has begun considering the criminal case initiated against six suspected perpetrators of the terror act committed near the building of the GIBDD (traffic police) in Pyatigorsk on December 27, 2013, which killed three persons. On March 12, during the preliminary session, the court left all six defendants in custody and scheduled the first hearing on the merits for March 24.

NKR prepares to elect its MPs

Since March 9, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) is accepting applications for participation in the elections to the MPs of the National Assembly to be held on May 3. The respective documents will be accepted until March 19. All the political forces represented in the NKR's parliament have confirmed their participation in the run for the parliament, namely, the "Free Homeland", the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" and the Democratic Party of Artsakh. The "National Revival", the "Movement-88" and the "Social Justice" are also going to take part in the elections.

Volgograd: ASF leads to slaughtering over 1800 pigs

In the Volgograd Region, where on March 6 the Rudnyansky District was put under the state of emergency, because of the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF), by March 10, 2015, in total, 1841 private animals were killed in households. Regional authorities reported cases of resistance of animal owners, although they were promised compensational payments and offered to help in switching over to the alternative livestock breeding. However, farmers are in no hurry to do it, stating that the refusal from swine-breeding will entail financial losses.