by Pavel Martynov exclusively for VK
The South Ossetian CEC registered four candidates for president on March 29. The candidates are Leonid Tibilov, former Chairman of the Committee for State Security, Ombudsman David Sanakoyev, Dmitry Medoyev, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of South Ossetia to Moscow, and Stanislav Kochiyev, leader of the local Communist Party. The CEC had to study documents of 20 initiative groups and two political parties promoting their candidates.
Three candidates gave the campaign upL Georgy Kabisov, former Chairman of the State Committee for Information and Mass Comunications, Igor Alborov, Deputy Defense Minister, and Tarzan Kokoity, former spokesman of the president at the parliament. Their documents did not meet the CEC requirements. Moreover, many candidates failed to pass tests of state languages.
The CEC determined the order of free broadcasting time for the last four candidates. Each will have a free hour to be broadcast on radio and TV. They may pay for TV and radio broadcasts to describe their electoral programs. The CEC will prevent all violations, with account of the failed elections last time.
Chairwoman of the Central Electoral Commission Bella Pliyeva said that unregistered candidates have the right to appeal any decision of the CEC: “If the Supreme Court cancels our decision, we will have to add the person to the list of candidates”. There will be one less polling station, because only about 10 people live at the Kobet Village of the Dzausky District. They will vote at a nearby polling station. South Ossetians living in North Ossetia will vote at two polling stations of the Verkhny Ruk Village. Voters will have a mark in their passports.
Candidates started the electoral campaign with agitation to vote for the Russian president with the following slogans:
“Russia has been our strategic partner with which we have close relations, which guarantees our security, our sovereignty. It is essential for Russian citizens living in South Ossetia to vote on March 4, 2012. The one becoming president of Russia will determine the fate of Ossetian people. More active voting is needed in order to show that we are not indifferent to who will become the state head”.
“Not a single one of use forgets the great care, attention and support Russia offers, its authorities Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. Ossetians have always been with Russia for centuries, serving it loyally, and it has been valuing the devotion of our people and protecting its interests. August 2008 was a bright example, when Russia came to the rescue and sacrificed its sons to save our people from extermination”.
South Ossetian Acting President Vadim Brovtsev urged participation in votes for the Russian president: “Most of us are citizens of Russia as well... The Russian authorities are doing their best for recovery of our republic, restoring its economy and social sphere, for growth of its authority. This is why we are no indifferent to who will bring benefit to millions of people in Russia and beyond... Every vote of ours will be important on March 4”.
South Ossetia will have 12 polling stations working on March 4: 9 of them for the population of South Ossetia and 3 for the 4th Military Base of the Russian Defense Ministry and the Border Directorate of the Russian FSB in South Ossetia. Those missing in the list of voters will be put in at oral request.
