Georgian breakaway republic South Ossetia holds presidential elections

[News_Editor]

Georgian breakaway republic South Ossetia holds presidential elections

2011-11-15 17:34:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- The Georgian breakaway republic of South Ossetia on Sunday voted for a new leader for the first time since its brief war with Georgia in 2008. The presidential election will continue during a second round after the candidates failed to win a majority.

The runoff presidential election in the Caucasian republic will be held on November 27 after the top two candidates failed to receive the 50 percent of the vote required by law, according to South Ossetian Central Election Commission chairwoman Bella Pliyeva on Monday. Incumbent president Eduard Kokoity was constitutionally banned from serving a third term.

After 98.84 percent of the votes were counted, with a turnout of 67.05 percent, Pliyeva said Emergency Minister Anatoly Bibilov was leading with 25.44 percent of the votes. However, former Education Minister Alla Dzhioyeva was following closely behind with 25.37 percent of the vote.

Kokoity was criticized on Tuesday after he told a Russian radio station that Dzhioyeva, a woman, has no chance of winning the second round even though she had almost as many votes as Bibilov. "That's not an option," Kokoity said when asked if South Ossetia might see a female president.

Kokoity, who has previously been criticized over other remarks such as suggesting that South Ossetia would one day become part of Russia, added: "No one oppresses women. In our society, women are treated very well - with respect. But the Caucasus is still the Caucasus."

In addition, Pliyeva announced that the Russian language will become the second official state language in South Ossetia after voters supported the initiative during a referendum, which was also held on Sunday along with the presidential vote. She said 83.99 percent had voted in favor.

However, as a large majority of the international community considers South Ossetia to be part of Georgia, the international response to the election was mostly negative.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner reiterated the 'strong support' for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The United States does not recognize the legitimacy or the outcome of these so-called presidential elections and referendum," he said.

The European Union also condemned the elections, saying it does not recognize the region's self-declared independence. "The European Union does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which these elections have taken place," Michael Mann, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said in a statement.

NATO also released a statement to condemn the presidential elections and showed its support for Georgia. “The holding of such elections does not contribute to a peaceful and lasting settlement of the situation in Georgia," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

South Ossetia, along with neighboring Abkhazia, consider themselves independent nations but have only been recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Tuvalu. The region declared independence from Georgia in 1990.

Russia, the breakaway region's most important ally, recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008. Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control after which Russia deployed its troops to protect the disputed area.

Hundreds of Russian, Georgian, South Ossetian and Abkhazian soldiers were killed during the violent conflict, as well as more than 160 civilians. South Ossetia, with the help of Russia and Abkhazia, won the conflict.

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