TSKHINVAL, March 25 (Itar-Tass) — As many as 11 percent of registered voters went to the polls at the repeated elections of South Ossetian president at 10.00, said chairwoman of the republican Central Election Commission Bella Plieva.
She noted that all the 84 polling stations opened on time, and the CEC did not receive at this time any appeals on any serious violations that can influence voting results. According to the CEC head, voters actively participate in the elections, and the turnout is “high enough”.
In Plieva’s words, voters have the right to vote with the passport of the South Ossetian citizen irrespective of the fact when and where it was received. “Passports will have a stamp, confirming a citizen’s participation in elections,” added the CEC head.
According to Plieva’s data, the election lists contain 34,360 voters, while the number of ballots was printed with a reserve, amounting to 40,000 copies.
The elections in South Ossetia are monitored by over 40 observers, including several delegations from the Russian bicameral parliament and the Russian Public Chamber.
The elections will be pronounced valid if over 50 percent of registered voters go to the polls. To win in the first round, a candidate is to collect 50 percent plus one vote.
If a new head of state is not elected in the first round, there will be a runoff to be held no later than 15 days after the date of announcing the final results of the first round. The elections are proclaimed valid in the runoff if over 30 percent of registered voters participate in it. The winner is determined by a simple majority.
The South Ossetian Supreme Court pronounced the results of the November 2011 elections invalid over violations made in the voting.
Four hopefuls participate in the present race: ex-chairman of the State Security Committee Leonid Tibilov, human rights commissioner at the republican president David Sanakoyev, South Ossetian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Medoyev and leader of the Communist Party Stanislav Kochiev.
The republican CEC promises to announce the first preliminary results of elections at 23.00 Moscow time. They will be specified on Monday morning, while observers will make their statements on the results of monitoring the elections.