An opposition candidate appeared Monday to have won a presidential election in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, defeating the Kremlin’s chosen candidate in the Russia-allied enclave.
Former Education Minister Alla Dzhioyeva was leading with about 57 percent of Sunday’s run-off vote against 40 percent for Emergencies Minister Anatoly Bibilov with ballots from 74 of the 85 precincts counted, the South Ossetian election commission said.
Both candidates had called for close ties with Russia. Bibilov, who had the support of Russia’s dominant pro-Kremlin party, refused to concede and complained to a court about alleged violations. Bibilov was endorsed by outgoing separatist leader Eduard Kokoity, a two-time president who declared South Ossetia’s independence following the brief 2008 war between Russia and Georgia over the province.
After the conflict, Moscow expanded its military presence in the South Caucasus region located between the Caspian and Black seas and pledged to restore South Ossetia’s economy and infrastructure.
Full Article: Kremlin candidate losing in South Ossetia election.
