Only two candidates for the presidency of South Ossetia participated in the debates.

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In the second round of the televised debates for the presidency of South Ossetia, only Kazbek Kodoev and Murat Valiev participated. They were dedicated to the economic development of the republic, and both candidates specifically addressed the issue of agricultural development and the distribution of funds allocated by Russia.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 6, the acting president of South Ossetia, Marat Kambolov, reported on the work of the public support headquarters, stating that in two months, his activists managed to make progress on issues that had been accumulating for years. Social media users urged Kambolov to not forget the campaign promises and to achieve solutions to the stated problems.

In the next round of debates on September 8, only two of the four candidates for the presidency of South Ossetia participated – Kazbek Kodoev and Murat Valiev. The acting president of South Ossetia, Marat Kambolov, did not attend the debates, nor did Zurab Kokoev, who also did not participate in the first round, reports the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot", who watched the debates.

The candidates present in the studio of GTRK "Ir" were invited to discuss the economic development of South Ossetia live on air.

Kazbek Kodoev used part of his time to briefly tell about himself. He was born in Leningrad, studied at school number 2 in Tskhinval, graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages at North Ossetian State University, where his first language was French. He also graduated from South Ossetian State University with a degree in law. After retiring from the KGB of the republic, Kodoev became an advisor to the rector of YOSU on security.

Neither the staffing structure of the public sector nor the economic entities are capable of fully ensuring employment for the population.

Speaking about the economy, Kodoev highlighted the issue of employment separately. He named the lack of alternatives for the population, other than employment in the public sector, as one of the main barriers to stable economic growth. "This established employment system has shown its complete lack of prospects. Neither the staffing structure of the public sector nor the economic entities are capable of fully ensuring employment for the population. Therefore, the state must and is obliged to assist in creating jobs in the non-state sector," Kodoev believes.

Both candidates consider agriculture to be the main sector that should develop the economy.

Murat Valiev mentioned the Soviet Union several times, when, in his opinion, agriculture in South Ossetia was thriving. For example, to solve the problem of marketing products for farmers and rural residents, the state should organize collection points for agricultural products.

Both candidates pointed out the imperfect system of control and distribution of funds allocated by Russia for the investment program. Murat Valiev noted that the government has not yet reported on the implementation of the investment program for 2022-2025, while Kazbek Kodoev proposed to amend the procedure for preferential lending for agricultural projects. In particular, he believes that funds should be issued separately for each stage and only after the commission confirms that the previous stage has been completed.

Murat Valiev raised a very sensitive topic for the population of the republic - the tariffs on cars. In 2024, the prices for customs clearance of foreign cars imported into South Ossetia began to rise. According to the signed agreements between South Ossetia and Russia, within five years, the tariff rates in South Ossetia should be equal to those in Russia.

According to Valiev, many people have approached him who are dissatisfied with such price increases. Nevertheless, he spoke very cautiously. "Yes, indeed, we have an agreement with the Russian Federation in this area, according to which the tariff rate should be brought to the Russian level. But considering our current situation and the incomes of our citizens, it is necessary to conduct constant consultations with our Russian colleagues and develop necessary solutions that are acceptable for our citizens," Valiev said, without specifying details.

The second round of debates again faced technical difficulties. The live broadcast on the internet had sound and image interference. Most viewers watched the broadcast already in recording, after it was completed.

The Telegram channel "Bonvarnon" suggested that Kambolov did not come to the debates precisely because of the failed first round of debates due to technical reasons. After them, the head of the information and press committee of South Ossetia, Maria Kotaeva, published a text on her channel in defense of the television team and explained that they were not to blame. According to her, television staff are not responsible for transmitting the signal to viewers' screens. Moreover, she noted that "everyone who watched the debates not through the internet on YouTube, but directly on television, and all those who had their home antenna set up, watched with clear sound and without interference."

Nevertheless, many commentators on social media complain about the lack of television signal in the regions of the republic, particularly in the villages of Znaur and Leningor districts.

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