S. Ossetia president sacks government

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity has thrown out the government of the Georgian province and declared a state of emergency, his office said Monday.

The decrees were signed Sunday; the state of emergency is set to expire Sept. 17, reported RIA Novosti, the Russian news agency.

Kokoity also will name an emergency committee to handle the aftermath of fighting between the breakaway province and Georgia, which resulted in Russian forces overwhelming Georgian troops nearly two weeks ago. The speaker of the separatist parliament, Znaur Gassiyev, was appointed to head the committee.

At a government session on Sunday, Kokoity criticized the cabinet over how it distributed humanitarian aid to South Ossetians.

"I'm completely dissatisfied with the work of the government," Kokoity said.