In South Ossetia, there is a “Day of Silence” on the day before the elections

On Saturday, there is a "Day of Silence" in South Ossetia on the eve of the presidential elections; any campaigning and election advertising in the media and on television is prohibited in the country, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the local CEC.

The re-election of the president of South Ossetia, according to the decision of the Parliament, will be held on March 25. The results of the previous elections held on 27 November 2011 were recognized as invalid by the Supreme Court of South Ossetia because of committed violations.

In the upcoming elections there will be four candidates: former chairman of the Committee of State Security Leonid Tibilov; Commissioner for Human Rights under President of the Republic, David Sanakoev; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Ossetia Dmitry Medoyev, and Communist Party leader Stanislav Kochiyev. "Electoral legislation defined the so-called “Day of Silence" when the presidential candidates, their initiative groups and election headquarters are prohibited from conducting propaganda and mass outreach activities. Any advertising in print or electronic media, radio or television is also considered to be a violation of the law. People are granted a chance to rethink their choices and make the right decision," the CEC staff says.

The elections will be deemed valid if over 50% of the voters included on the voters' register cast their ballots. In order to win, a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote. The preliminary results of the presidential elections in South Ossetia will be announced on the morning of March 26. The official results will be announced on March 30. As noted by the CEC, the elections in the country will observed by dozens of international observers. For coverage of the election, more than 50 journalists, representing television and radio, print and electronic media in Russia and abroad, have been accredited.