S. Ossetian poll canceled - banned candidate appeals

South Ossetian presidential candidate Alla Dzhioyeva has appealed a Supreme Court’s decision to cancel the results of the recent election, which she was winning, and a ban imposed on her from participating in a proposed March 25 run-off.

Authorities in South Ossetia initially declined to publish the results of Sunday’s presidential election run-off as the election itself was canceled due to “violations” by Dzhioyeva. The results however, were leaked; Dzhioyeva won 56 per cent of the vote against 40 per cent gathered by former Emergencies Minister Anatoly Bibilov.Bibilov’s party accused Dzioyeva of violating elections rules and filed a complaint to the Supreme Court, which on Monday canceled the election result, announced a new poll on March 25 and banned Dzioyeva from participating in it, citing her behavior last weekend.After the ruling, Dzioyeva’s supporters held a protest on the central square of Ossetia’s capital Tskhinval. Incumbent President Eduard Kokoity had to call a meeting with both presidential candidates and the head of republic’s State Security Committee. Dzhioyeva submitted her appeal to the Supreme Court as the meeting ended.Bibilov said he was not going to gather his supporters in the streets to avoid confrontation. “We are acting within the law and we will not do this by any means,” Bibilov said.After the meeting Dzhioyeva addressed her supporters and called upon them to refrain from violence. “I am asking you to give up any radical thoughts. Do not react to prevocational calls to storm anything. There is nothing here we could storm, there are our boys on this side too,” Dzhioyeva said.Teimuraz Mamsurov, the head of the Russia’s Republic of North Ossetia, which borders South Ossetia and shares cultural and economic ties with this country, said that no one had the right to interfere in South Ossetia’s internal politics. “No one can interfere into internal affairs of an independent state even under the slogans of brotherhood. But we have the right to expect that human sufferings, that have lasted for too long, will produce the society that is free from political turmoil and rows, the society that is capable to answer the unprecedented support from Russia’s side and Russia’s selfless caring and attention with creative work and flourishing,” the North Ossetian leader said.