Kremlin hails presidential elections in S. Ossetia, notes they were transparent - Peskov
MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax) - The Kremlin finds the presidential elections conducted in South Ossetia to be democratic, Russian presidential press officer Dmitry Peskov said.
"We hail the presidential elections in South Ossetia, we state that it was an absolutely politically competitive, democratic election process, fairly transparent. We are even more satisfied with the fact that the main competition was between candidates that are convinced supporters of further close relations between South Ossetia and Russia," Peskov told reporters on Monday, commenting on the outcome of the elections held in South Ossetia.
Peskov again said that the Kremlin hails "this tendency."
According to earlier reports, the Central Elections Commission on Monday announced the tentative results of the elections and the referendum introducing the equivalent name of the republic "the state of Alania." The final results will be published within five days.
According to information provided by Bella Pliyeva, chairman of the South Ossetian Central Elections Commission, voter turnover constituted 81%.
The Central Elections Commission has now processed virtually 90% of ballots. Bibilov is receiving 57.98%, he is followed by State Security Committee official Alan Gagloyev with 11.01% and incumbent President Leonid Tibilov with 30%. A total of 1.32% of voters voted against all candidates.
Most voters in the referendum (78%) have supported the introduction of the equivalent name "state of Alania," 20% spoke against it. Under the Constitution, the inauguration of the president-election is to take place ten days following the publication of the final election outcome in the mass media.