The socio-political situation which has formed in South Ossetia after the second round of presidential elections not only worries the republic’s residents, but also Russia, which has always attentively followed developments in the republic and supports South Ossetian society in establishing an independent state.
At the moment the South Ossetian political class is at a crossroads. The future of the country depends on the choice made by the authorities and society. Meanwhile, the mass media reported various violations ahead of and during the voting process. This information is confirmed by the data announced at the election headquarters of the two remaining candidates – Bibilov and Dzhioyeva. Bribing voters, pressuring of members of the Central Electoral Commission and illegal agitation ahead of the elections took place. These facts are sufficient to draw the conclusion that it is necessary to analyze all the instances of violation and take corresponding measures within the legal framework.
South Ossetia is a small republic, and such a high level of violations means that it is difficult for the CEC of the republic to determine the results of the election accurately. In this context, the decision of the Supreme Court of the republic on postponing the announcement of the preliminary official results of the second round until all instances of violation are investigated seems to be reasonable.
Excitement around the decision of the Supreme Court of the republic doesn’t meet the interests of any candidate. Neither Alla Dzhoyeva nor Anatoly Bibilov intend to conflict. They want to finish the elections by confirming the legality of the results. The ordinary citizens of South Ossetia want this as well. Social stability is much more important than the personal ambitions of politicians.
However, most experts are sure that common sense will prevail, and the effectiveness and independence of the judicial system of the republic will guarantee it. That is why it is untimely to call the current situation a systemic crisis, as some Georgian mass media did. It is a maturity test for South Ossetian society.
Alexei Vlasov.
