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/ Former USSR / Politics / Election in South Osetia / South Ossetia and Abkhazia
Moscow hails successful parliamentary polls in South Ossetia
Russia welcomes the June 9 parliamentary polls in South Ossetia, calling them a factor of enhancing the republic's statehood, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
"The Russian Federation welcomes successful parliamentary elections in the republic, considering them as another confirmation of progress in building South Ossetia's statehood and as evidence that its democratic institutions are further strengthening," the ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry also stressed that the Russian and international observers, who monitored the vote, stated that the process of the expression of people's will complied with the generally recognized principles and standards of organizing and holding the elections, TASS reports.
The South Ossetian parliamentary elections took place on June 9. No violations during the voting were reported, the Interior Ministry said. According to the republic's Central Election Commission, the United Ossetia party secured 37.26% of the vote, with 60% of ballots counted. The People's Party of South Ossetia came in second, followed by Styr Nyxas.
South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia after the August 2008 armed conflict. Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and has repeatedly stated that it would not review this decision. By now, four countries - Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Syria - have recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.