February 29 the Central Election Committee of South Ossetia has completed registration of presidential candidates. As the CEC Chairman Bella Plieva reported at the briefing held today in Tskhinval, only four candidates had been registered: former head of the KGB of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov, Human Rights Ombudsman David Sanakoev, Ambassador of South Ossetia in the Russian Federation Dmitry Medoev and leader of the Communist Party of South Ossetia, Stanislav Kochiev. "Those presidential aspirants, who were not registered for various reasons, have the right to appeal against the CEC decision. If the Supreme Court revokes our decision, we`ll have to include the person in the list of the candidates-explained Plieva.
She has pointed out, that all the registered candidates have the license for starting the election campaign. The head of the Central Election Commission has explained that the candidates must clearly know, what free and paid time on television and space in print media they can count on. "Today we will discuss with the editors of the media the conditions, under which our candidates can post their campaign materials. In addition, today or tomorrow the draw will be held between the candidates: it will determine, when and who of them will be able to use the airtime. At the same time, we must decide what posters, what size and shape they can develop. We will assume that all candidates should be on equal terms,"- Plieva has underlined. Speaking about preparation of polling stations on the day of voting, she said that all the polling stations had been distributed among the members of the Central Election Committee for effective monitoring of the process of preparing for elections. "Therefore, from now on the CEC members will go to the districts and all over the town to see the conditions of the polling stations. If there are any problems, they should be settled till March 25. As to number of the polling stations, they will be one less. This is because of the fact, that only about 10 people are living in the village Kobet (Dzausky District) and we have not the right to arrange the polling station there. They will be voting at the neighboring polling station,"- the head of the CEC has specified. According to Plieva, the citizens of the Republic, living in North Ossetia, will be able to vote at the two polling stations in the village of Upper Ruck. She has added that the divisional election committees are also making the voters lists ready by the beginning of the next week, so that everyone could come and check his data in the lists. Plieva said that in accordance with the law the ballots should be printed 10 days before the vote. "But taken into consideration the fact that the law provides for early voting, which should take place 15 days before the voting day in the territorial commissions, we have to print them to this date. To vote early one should apply to the CEC to inform about the reasons of his intention to vote before the appointed time. We`ll give him the right, then we`ll notify his polling station, and send him to his territorial commission,"- Plieva underlined. According to her, on the Election Day after 16:00 the polling station commissions with the mobile ballot boxes will visit those electors, who will vote at home. Bella Plieva has also reported that the passports of citizens of the Republic will be sealed again and at present they are discussing the shape of the stamp.
It should be reminded, that presidential re-election in South Ossetia is scheduled for March 25.
