An agreement on cooperation between the Central Election Commissions of South Ossetia and Transdnestria was signed in Tskhinval. The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the RSO. For the South Ossetian side, the agreement on cooperation was signed by the CEC Chairperson Bella Plieva, for the Transdnestrian side – her colleagues Petr Denisenko.
A delegation from Nagorny Karabakh arrived in South Ossetia as international observers for the RSO Parliamentary election. The RSO President Eduard Kokoity received the delegation headed by Nagorny Karabakh Parliament MP Rudik Martirosyan. .
“We are sure that the election will be held at high level and the Ossetian people will make their choice and cast their votes. I believe you will be witnesses of this grandiose event extremely important for our state, since this is the first election in the internationally recognized state”, said Eduard Kokoity.
The RSO President Eduard Kokoity cast his vote at polling station №10 in School №5 where the memorial cemetery of victims of Georgian aggression is located.
Having voted, the President talked to journalists and answered their questions.
Eduard Kokoity stated that “this is an important event, since this is the first election in the recognized state. Today, the election is another test of maturity and sustainability of our democracy. This is a big holiday for the people of the Republic of South Ossetia”.
Tbilisi is making attempts to hinder the Parliamentary election in South Ossetia. Being unable to influence the free will of the Ossetian people, the Georgian authorities is doing everything to complicate the access of the population to the polling stations.
According to the reports of the head of Leningor district A. Margiev, today since early morning the Georgian authorities blocked the South Ossetian-Georgian border and are not allowing South Ossetian citizens to enter the territory of the RSO to participate in the election.
“The voting to South Ossetian Parliament on the territory of North Ossetia is ongoing smoothly. At each of the polling station, representatives of the four political parties are present. Security is maintained, the attendance is quite high since morning, “ reported the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of North Ossetia Konstantin Kadiev.
He noted that he acts as an international observer at the polling station No. 90 located at Gorski Agrarian University.
Bela Plieva, the CEC Chairperson voiced the information on attendance at the polling stations in South Ossetia and abroad.
According to her, “1692 electors cast their votes at the polling stations abroad and in Djava district (about 40% of voters) 14,8 % of electorate attended the election in Znaur district, in Leningor district – 17,62 %, and 19,56 % in Tskhinval district. In the city of Tskhinval 13,06 % of voters attended the election. This is data available by 10 a.m. 31 May”, said Bella Plieva.
At 8 a.m., all 95 polling stations, at which elections to the RSO Parliament are taking place, were opened. The voting process is ongoing without any incidents, reported the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Bella Plieva during the press-conference at CEC Informational Center “Parliamentary Election 2009” .
Bella Plieva draw journalists’ attention to the scheme of transmitting information on the Parliamentary Election through communication channels.
Upon the initiative of the RSO Parliament Speaker Znaur Gassiev, an agreement “On Fair Election” was signed at the Press-Center “Parliamentary Election 2009”. The Agreement was signed by the representatives of the four political parties participating in the election to the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia on 31 May 2009.
At 8 a.m., polling stations opened in the Republic of South Ossetia. The fifth Parliamentary Election started. As reported by the Central Election Commission Chairperson Bella Plieva, “even now we observe active participation of voters”. An influx of voters is expected after 11 a.m. According to information received from polling stations in remote villages of South Ossetia, the voting process started there without any problems.”
At the threshold of RSO Parliamentary election the law enforcement bodies of South Ossetia intensified their patrolling regime, reported the RSO Interior Minister Valeri Valiev. “The law enforcement structures has beforehand set the plan of measures to ensure law and order during the Parliamentary election, and this plan is already in action. The Interior Ministry personnel on round-the-clock service has been increased, additional checkpoints had been deployed. Special units are on high alert to be able to rapidly react to any sign of breach of law”, explained Valiev.
