The results of the referendum on January 19, 1992 should be fundamental for every Ossetian, President of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was then, when was especially obvious the whole problematic nature of our republic to be part of the Georgian SSR was visible. Even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia began ethnic cleansing of the Ossetians - in 1989, continuing the genocide of our people. We remember very well the statements of the then Georgian leaders that “there should be no Ossetians on the territory of South Ossetia,” Bibilov said.
According to him, in the then prevailing realities, it became necessary to hold a referendum.
“Of course, in order to preserve the ethnos and statehood, it was necessary to take decisive steps, and this determination was demonstrated by the people of the Republic. The relevance of the referendum held then remains today. Therefore, I believe that as an ethnic group the Ossetians should be together and within the Russian Federation,” the head of state emphasized.
He has added that the Ossetians and other peoples who live on the territory of Russia consider it their historical homeland.
“No one will take this away from the Ossetian people, on the basis of which we will continue to take steps that will contribute to joining the Russian Federation, whether one wants it or not. We must always adhere to the strategic direction of the development of the Ossetian people. The fact that we have statehood today is very good, but the fact that we are divided as an ethnos is bad, as it will affect the future of the people of South Ossetia,” Anatoly Bibilov said.
The head of state has reminded that in the 1992 referendum, out of 53,441 who voted for joining the Russian Federation, only 48 were against.
“85 ballots were considered spoiled. I think this is also the evidence of a large emotional component of the voters who ticked the boxes in favor of joining the Russian Federation,” Anatoly Bibilov has stressed, adding that the results of the referendum showed that the people saw themselves as part of Russia.
