Georgian parliament passes law ending temporary South Ossetia administration

The Parliament of Georgia has passed, in its third and final reading, a law nullifying the legislative acts that established a temporary administration for South Ossetia in 2007 under then-President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The bill was approved by 83 deputies and will now be sent to Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili for signature, with a two-week period to sign it, Caliber.Az reports, citing TASS.

Under the initiative of the ruling party, Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia, the administration created under Saakashvili will be officially abolished on January 1, 2026, Caliber.Az reports

In 2007, Georgia’s Parliament and then‑President Mikheil Saakashvili created a provisional administrative body for the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous District with the aim of managing conflict and representing local Georgians and Ossetians under Tbilisi’s jurisdiction, but it operated on legal grounds not firmly rooted in Georgia’s constitution.

The temporary administrative body was intended to represent local interests, foster economic rehabilitation and dialogue with Tbilisi, and act as a counterpart to the dominant de facto authorities in Tskhinvali supported by Moscow; it was part of Georgia’s effort to counter separatist control and offer an alternative governance structure.

The creation of this unit occurred against the backdrop of long‑running tensions over South Ossetia, where Georgian and separatist authorities have contested control since the early 1990s after the Soviet collapse, leading to repeated escalations.

This ultimately culminated in a full‑scale war in August 2008 involving Russian forces and resulted in Russia’s recognition of South Ossetia’s independence—a status not widely recognised by the international community.

By Jeyhun Aghazada