Georgia condemns the second round of presidential elections in South Ossetia
Presidential elections in South Ossetia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has issued a special statement condemning the second round of presidential elections in South Ossetia.
According to the agency, such illegal actions violate the fundamental principles and norms of international law and grossly violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
“Under Russian occupation and effective ground control, when hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons expelled from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as a result of ethnic cleansing of Georgians are still deprived of the opportunity to return home safely and with dignity and rights and freedoms are grossly violated – no election will have any legal effect. Russia’s effective control over the occupied regions of Georgia and its responsibility for human rights violations is clearly confirmed by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights as of January 21, 2021”, the statement of the Ministry said.
The Ministry also calls on the Russian Federation to respect Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and fulfill its international obligations, including the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008.
85% of the votes were counted in the presidential elections in the occupied Tskhinvali region. The winner is the leader of the party “Nikhas”, Alan Gagloev. Gagloev received 53.67% (14,505 votes), while the current leader of the occupied region, Anatoly Bibilov, received 41.3% (11,099).
Bibilov has already admitted defeat in the elections and congratulated Alan Gagloev on his victory.
