Parliamentary elections were held in South Ossetia on 31 May 2009. The result was a victory for the ruling Unity Party, which won seventeen of the 34 seats. Two opposition parties were not permitted to run out of concern that they might not be loyal to President Eduard Kokoity.[1][2][3]
President Eduard Kokoity voting in the 2009 parliamentary elections
Four parties were contesting for 34 seats in the Parliament of South Ossetia. According to the central election commission, 45,000 people were registered to vote on Sunday.[10] This was the first South Ossetian election since the republic obtained its limited international recognition in 2008.[citation needed] About 100 Russian and international reporters arrived in South Ossetia to cover the event.[11] Voters were able to cast ballots at 95 polling stations, 88 in South Ossetia and 7 in Russia (6 of them opened in North Ossetia and 1 in Moscow). No other overseas polling stations were open.[12]
Structureedit
The election was conducted using the party-list proportional representation system with a 7% election threshold. For South Ossetian authorities to consider the election valid, the voter turnout would have been at least 50% + 1 vote, and at least two parties would have acquired securing seats in the parliament. If these criteria hadn't been fulfilled, the South Ossetian legislation provided for a repeat election in four months.[13]
Partiesedit
The following parties participated in the election:[14]
The Unity Party is the ruling party in the current parliament.[citation needed] According to Reuters, Unity, Communists, and the People's party support the current President Eduard Kokoity, while the Fatherland Socialist Party opposes him.[4] Two opposition parties were barred from running.
As of 10:00 UTC, 59.88% of registered voters had cast their votes, crossing the electoral threshold of 50% plus one vote. The South Ossetian election commission has thus declared the elections valid.[citation needed]
According to the preliminary results, the Unity Party has obtained the most votes with 46.38% of the vote, followed by People's Party with 22.58% and the Communists with 22.25%, thus securing 17, 9 and 8 parliament seats respectively, while the Fatherland Socialist Party fell just short of passing the 7% threshold with only 6.37%.[15] The official results were expected by June 7.
According to the final results, the Unity Party won 17 seats with 21,246 votes, the People's Party won nine seats with 10,345 votes and the Communist Party won eight seats with 10,194 votes.
The Secretary-General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance did not recognize the elections and reiterated "its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders".[8]
The United States denounced the elections "as a step away from a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict" and refused to "recognize neither the legality nor the results."[7]
Referencesedit
^Postimees 31 May 2009 11:17 citing AFP, Interfax and BNS: Lõuna-Osseetia valib kohalikku parlamenti
^ abcTelegraph 1 June 2009 11:30 BST: Russia ally strengthens grip on South Ossetia
^ abc"Rebel S. Ossetia votes in post-war test for ruler". Reuters. 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
^Postimees 1 June 2009 11:41: EL: Lõuna-Osseetia valimised on kehtetud
^B92 1 June 2009 12:34: EU sees S. Ossetia elections as "illegitimate" 2009-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
^ abGeorgia: "Parliamentary Elections" in South Ossetia (June 1, 2009) June 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. The US Embassy in Georgia. June 1, 2009
^ abNATO Doesn’t Recognize South Ossetia Elections. Sofia News Agency. June 2, 2009
^"Rebel Georgian region holds election, tension builds". Reuters. 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
^"Disputed South Ossetia holds poll". BBC News. 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
^. Interfax. 2009-05-27. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
^"Press-Release on RSO Parliament Election". RES News Agency. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
^В Южной Осетии началось голосование на выборах в парламент (in Russian). lenta.ru. 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
^. Georgia Times. 2009-03-17. Archived from the original on 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
^Явка на выборах депутатов Парламента Республики Южная Осетия составила 81,93%. В Парламент прошли три политические партии (in Russian). RES News Agency. 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
^"The EU president Czech Republic regards the parliamentary elections i…". Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
^ ab. Archived from the original on 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
May 17, 2024
2009, south, ossetian, parliamentary, election, parliamentary, elections, were, held, south, ossetia, 2009, result, victory, ruling, unity, party, which, seventeen, seats, opposition, parties, were, permitted, concern, that, they, might, loyal, president, edua. Parliamentary elections were held in South Ossetia on 31 May 2009 The result was a victory for the ruling Unity Party which won seventeen of the 34 seats Two opposition parties were not permitted to run out of concern that they might not be loyal to President Eduard Kokoity 1 2 3 2009 South Ossetian parliamentary election 2004 31 May 2009 2014 34 seats in the Parliament18 seats needed for a majorityParty Leader Seats Unity Party Aslanbek Bulatsev 47 53 17 3 People s Party Kazimir Pliyev 23 14 9 HIKP Stanislav Kochiev 22 80 8 This lists parties that won seats See the complete results below Prime Minister before Prime Minister afterAslanbek BulatsevUnity Party Aslanbek BulatsevUnity Party Under laws of Georgia the elections were illegal 4 The European Union 3 5 6 the United States 7 and NATO 8 have issued statements saying these organisations consider the elections illegal and have rejected their results Contents 1 Background 2 Campaign 3 Structure 4 Parties 5 Opinion polls 6 Results 7 Reaction 8 ReferencesBackground editThe Republic of South Ossetia has a population of about 70 000 It has had de facto independence from central Georgian rule since the 1991 1992 South Ossetia War After the August 2008 South Ossetia war Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia followed by Nicaragua Other countries including Georgia consider South Ossetia part of Georgia s constitutional territory 9 Campaign edit nbsp President Eduard Kokoity voting in the 2009 parliamentary elections Four parties were contesting for 34 seats in the Parliament of South Ossetia According to the central election commission 45 000 people were registered to vote on Sunday 10 This was the first South Ossetian election since the republic obtained its limited international recognition in 2008 citation needed About 100 Russian and international reporters arrived in South Ossetia to cover the event 11 Voters were able to cast ballots at 95 polling stations 88 in South Ossetia and 7 in Russia 6 of them opened in North Ossetia and 1 in Moscow No other overseas polling stations were open 12 Structure editThe election was conducted using the party list proportional representation system with a 7 election threshold For South Ossetian authorities to consider the election valid the voter turnout would have been at least 50 1 vote and at least two parties would have acquired securing seats in the parliament If these criteria hadn t been fulfilled the South Ossetian legislation provided for a repeat election in four months 13 Parties editThe following parties participated in the election 14 Unity Party Communist Party of South Ossetia People s Party of South Ossetia Fatherland Socialist Party The Unity Party is the ruling party in the current parliament citation needed According to Reuters Unity Communists and the People s party support the current President Eduard Kokoity while the Fatherland Socialist Party opposes him 4 Two opposition parties were barred from running Opinion polls editDate Institute Unity Communist People s FSP Against all Undecided 31 March 2009 IA Res 22 32 16 22 8 n a 21 April 2009 IA Res 19 29 14 19 19 n a 26 April 15 May 2009 IA Res 31 6 12 8 7 0 7 2 19 0 22 0 Results editAs of 10 00 UTC 59 88 of registered voters had cast their votes crossing the electoral threshold of 50 plus one vote The South Ossetian election commission has thus declared the elections valid citation needed According to the preliminary results the Unity Party has obtained the most votes with 46 38 of the vote followed by People s Party with 22 58 and the Communists with 22 25 thus securing 17 9 and 8 parliament seats respectively while the Fatherland Socialist Party fell just short of passing the 7 threshold with only 6 37 15 The official results were expected by June 7 According to the final results the Unity Party won 17 seats with 21 246 votes the People s Party won nine seats with 10 345 votes and the Communist Party won eight seats with 10 194 votes nbsp PartyVotes SeatsUnity Party21 24647 5317People s Party of South Ossetia10 34523 149Communist Party of South Ossetia10 19422 808Fatherland Socialist Party2 9186 530Total44 703100 0034Valid votes44 70397 58Invalid blank votes1 1102 42Total votes45 813100 00Registered voters turnout55 98081 84Source CominfReaction editInternational observers Group of 11 observers representing Italy Germany Poland and Russia noted the election was held complying with common democratic standards 16 Italian MEP Giulietto Chiesa commented 17 These elections were a model of democracy nbsp Europe The EU refused to accept either the legality of the election or its results 3 NATO The Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance did not recognize the elections and reiterated its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders 8 nbsp Georgia Georgia dismissed the election as illegitimate Temur Iakobashvili the State Minister for Reintegration commented 4 17 What they in South Ossetia call elections are very far from real elections Nothing but clownery a farce and a redistribution of criminal power nbsp United States The United States denounced the elections as a step away from a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict and refused to recognize neither the legality nor the results 7 References edit Postimees 31 May 2009 11 17 citing AFP Interfax and BNS Louna Osseetia valib kohalikku parlamenti Radio Netherlands Worldwide 1 June 2009 06 55Z 16 34Z South Ossetia s Kokoity wins flawed poll permanent dead link a b c Telegraph 1 June 2009 11 30 BST Russia ally strengthens grip on South Ossetia a b c Rebel S Ossetia votes in post war test for ruler Reuters 2009 05 31 Retrieved 2009 05 31 Postimees 1 June 2009 11 41 EL Louna Osseetia valimised on kehtetud B92 1 June 2009 12 34 EU sees S Ossetia elections as illegitimate Archived 2009 06 06 at the Wayback Machine a b Georgia Parliamentary Elections in South Ossetia June 1 2009 Archived June 7 2009 at the Wayback Machine The US Embassy in Georgia June 1 2009 a b NATO Doesn t Recognize South Ossetia Elections Sofia News Agency June 2 2009 Rebel Georgian region holds election tension builds Reuters 2009 05 31 Retrieved 2009 06 02 Disputed South Ossetia holds poll BBC News 2009 05 31 Retrieved 2009 05 31 S Ossetia polls to be observed by 50 monitors 100 reporters electioncommission Interfax 2009 05 27 Archived from the original on June 6 2009 Retrieved 2009 05 27 Press Release on RSO Parliament Election RES News Agency 2009 05 25 Retrieved 2009 05 30 V Yuzhnoj Osetii nachalos golosovanie na vyborah v parlament in Russian lenta ru 2009 05 31 Retrieved 2009 05 31 Elections as a demonstration of independence Georgia Times 2009 03 17 Archived from the original on 2009 06 06 Retrieved 2009 04 15 Yavka na vyborah deputatov Parlamenta Respubliki Yuzhnaya Osetiya sostavila 81 93 V Parlament proshli tri politicheskie partii in Russian RES News Agency 2009 06 01 Retrieved 2009 06 01 The EU president Czech Republic regards the parliamentary elections i Archived from the original on 3 August 2012 a b The week in review South Ossetia elections denounced by West NEWS The Moscow News Archived from the original on 2011 08 22 Retrieved 2009 06 08 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2009 South Ossetian parliamentary election amp oldid 1173847819, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
