Elections for the legislative body in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia were held on June 9.
Anatoly Bibilov, the self-proclaimed president of South Ossetia, called on voters to "make the right choice" and for the winning legislators to give more attention in their work "to the people of the South Ossetian Republic," where unemployment and poverty are quite prevalent.
A total of 98 candidates are competing for 34 seats in the so-called national parliament.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry denounced the vote, saying in a June 9 statement that the "so-called parliamentary elections" in South Ossetia "grossly violate Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The EU has said it would not recognize the "constitutional and legislative frameworks" in which the elections are being held.
Bella Plieva, the chairwoman of South Ossetia's election commission, said early on June 10 that the United Ossetia party had won the most votes in a preliminary count of the votes. She added that the People's Party was second and that turnout was 65 percent.
Voters could cast ballots at 73 different polling stations in the breakaway region or in Moscow, Sukhumi, or North Ossetia.
An unnamed male voter in South Ossetia told the Reuters news agency that "peace" was the number one issue for him in the elections. "Then we need [more] jobs," he added.
South Ossetia, a region of some 53,000 people in northern Georgia, gained de facto independence and was recognized by Russia as a country after the brief Russian-Georgian war of 2008.
Georgia's Breakaway South Ossetia Region Holds 'Elections' For Parliament
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Putin Sends Signals To The West On Ukraine Ahead Of Trump's New Term
2Kyiv Says It Broke Up Russian Spy Network Targeting F-16 Fighter Data
3Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
4Ukraine Hits Kazan Buildings In Latest Display Of Drone Power
5What Would The Russian Capture Of Pokrovsk Mean For The Ukraine War?
6The Moment A Russian General Was Killed By A Scooter Bomb In Moscow
7U.S., U.K. Say Medvedev's Comment Calling NATO Officials 'Legitimate Targets' Irresponsible
8'They Look Tense': Photographer Describes Scenes At Russian Base In Syria
9Putin, In Annual Televised Show Of Control, Says Russia Nearing 'Primary Goal' In Ukraine War
10Kyiv Hits Kursk After Massive Wave Of Deadly Russian Strikes On Ukraine
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
