‘Presidential Vote’ Slated for April 10 in Tskhinvali Region

Lawmakers of Russian-occupied Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia have set April 10 as the date for the “presidential elections,” according to Tskhinvali-based RES news agency.

“Presidents” of the region are elected for a five year-term, and serve as the head of both the “state” and the executive branch.

Political parties and initiative groups have until February 20 to nominate the candidates for the position, the region’s election administration stated on January 24.

Current Tskhinvali leader Anatoly Bibilov intends to run for re-election. He won during the previous vote in 2017 with 54.8% against then-incumbent Leonid Tibilov, who received 33.7% of votes.

According to the region’s election administration, in the 2017 vote 32,365 voters – 79.63% of registered voters – turned out at the polling stations, but voter and demographic data from the region are largely viewed as unreliable.

Elections in Tskhinvali Region are denounced as illegitimate by Tbilisi and the international community except for Russia and a few other countries that recognize the region’s independence from Georgia.

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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)