Tbilisi-loyal South Ossetian self-imposed President Dimitri Sanakoev has started to form his 12-member cabinet, following his innauguration on December 1 in the Georgian village of Kurta in the conflict zone.

Uruzmag Karkusov will take over the position of Prime Minister. Karkusov was in charge of the administration of the alternative presidential polls which were held in parallel to secessionist-organized presidential elections on November 12.

Karkusov’s brother - Jemal Karkusov – will be Interior Minister. Jemal Karkusov was a former Interior Minister in the secessionist government who was arrested in April 2005, reportedly after having disagreements with Eduard Kokoity. Jemal Karkusov escaped from a Tskhinvali prison in November, 2005 in a jailbreak that the Georgian Interior Ministry took credit for organizing.

Maia Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili will be appointed Foreign Minister. Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili is a head of the Tbilisi-based non-governmental organization Iber-Ironi Georgian-Ossetian Union.

“The remaining ministerial position will be occupied in the next ten days, maximum” Chigoeva-Tsaboshvili told Civil Georgia on November 12.