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Russia to watch situation in South Ossetia but won’t interfere

Russia will watch the situation in South Ossetia but will not interfere, the Foreign Ministry said

MOSCOW, November 30 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia will watch the situation in South Ossetia but will not interfere, the Foreign Ministry said.

“Our position of principle is that these political processes are an internal affair of the friendly neighbouring state. Russia will strictly fulfil its contractual obligations concerning South Ossetia’s external security but is not interfering and will not interfere in its internal affairs,” the ministry said on Wednesday, November 30.

At the same time, it said, “We continue to watch the strained situation in the republic that is certainly a matter of concern to us”.

South Ossetians, who came to the central square in front of the government headquarters in Tskhinval since morning, said they would not leave until the Supreme Court cancels its decision proclaiming the results of the November 27 presidential election invalid.

The ranks of opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva’s supporters dwindle from time to time, but its HQ said people simply go to the nearby buildings to keep themselves warm.

Dzhioyeva earlier asked her supporters to go home, but people refused to leave. A rumour is circulated among the protesters that incumbent South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity has ordered a revision of the court ruling.

South Ossetian and North Ossetian bloggers are running online reports from snow-swept Tskhinval on Twitter and Facebook and have already dubbed the situation in South Ossetia “snow revolution”.

South Ossetian Supreme Court Chairman Atsamaz Bichenov met with Dzhioyeva earlier in the day to inform her that he would not change his decision on the invalidity of the presidential elections.

Bichenov suggested that Dzhioyeva go to court and file a complaint.