South Ossetia Votes for Independence (from Georgia)

[Petr]

Did you know that Stalin was technically speaking not a Georgian but Ossetian?

Anyways, Ossetians are a rough Christian mountain tribe surrounded by nasty Muslim mountain tribes. Northern part of their people lives in Russia (and was victimized at Beslan), and the southern part in Georgia.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=internation...61114&hn=38268


South Ossetia Votes for Independence

By Faruk Akkan, Cihan News Agency, Moscow
Tuesday, November 14, 2006


In a Sunday referendum, about 99 percent of 50,000 South Ossetians voted ‘yes’ in support of a split with the Georgian government in Tbilisi.

The Russian- backed independence vote received criticism from the European Union, which stated that it did not recognize either the referendum or the results. The 46-nation European Council, which also includes Russia, described the referendum as an unnecessary attempt that will make no contributions to peace whatsoever. In a statement released by the South Ossetian Board of Elections, it was said that 99 percent of voters voted for independence, and Eduard Kokoity was reelected president with an overwhelming 98 percent of the vote. In order for the election to be legally valid, in which 94,6 percent of 55,000 registered voters reportedly voted, a 50 percent participation was required.

Announcing that it did not recognize the referendum, Brussels noted that all this ran counter to the land integrity and sovereignty of Georgia while stating that, “The referendum is not making any contributions to the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.” Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis spoke of the referendum and commented, “The results will not be recognized by the international community. The voting brought nothing forward for the search of a peaceful political solution. The circumstances in which it has been carried out, especially the fact that ethnic Georgians were not given the right to vote, makes it irrelevant even as an indicative poll.”

South Ossetians with Russian passports were provided with new ID cards to enable them to vote while Georgians were asked to cancel their Georgian passports in order to be given new ID cards declaring them as South Ossetians.

Georgia has protested that Moscow supports the ongoing separatist movements in South Ossetia and that the elections had no legal base. South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent conflicts claimed the lives of thousands. The Tbilisi administration has been trying to reestablish a connection between the government and South Ossetia and Abhasia since 1992.

Russia and Georgia have been on bad terms recently. After the arrest of Russian commanders by Georgian authorities on the grounds of espionage, relations worsened. Having recalled its ambassador in Georgia, Russia has broken off all its ties with Georgia and started imposing economic sanctions on the country.

‘Vladimir Putin is Our President’

Russia supports the idea that the public vote should be respected whereas western countries are calling the referendum “illegal.” ‘Putin is our President’ a fiches in the streets reveal the targets of South Ossetian authorities, who view the referendum as a step for uniting with Russia.

[Berianidze]

Originally Posted by Petr

Did you know that Stalin was technically speaking not a Georgian but Ossetian?

I've seen this claim before, but I've never seen any evidence supporting it.

In regards to the South Ossetians, nobody should recognize them as an independent state. What bugs me the most is Russia's role in this. They have no legitimate interest in this affair; and I agree that the election has no legal basis because RUssia has done everything it could to involve itself and subvert Georgian authority.

[Daniel Shays]

Originally Posted by Besoshvili

I've seen this claim before, but I've never seen any evidence supporting it.

Same. There is no proof, only the fact he liked Qazbegi's Koba (like many Georgians). That said, OSSETIA IS INDIVISBLE, it must be re-united!! The fact that the western powers oppose such a move is surely another reason to support Ossetian nationhood. The Ossetians are a noble Iranic people that have contributed much to the Soviet Union.

[Berianidze]

The European Union reiterated that it does not recognize the “referendum” and “presidential elections” in breakaway South Ossetia, the Finnish Presidency said on behalf of the European Union on November 13.

“The 'referendum' contradicts Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The EU considers that the situation in South Ossetia did not allow the free expression of the popular will,” the declaration reads.

The European Union reiterated its full support to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

“The European Union considers that the referendum and the elections did not contribute to efforts for peaceful conflict resolution. It calls on all parties to the conflict to strictly respect existing agreements and to return immediately to the negotiating table in order to work towards a speedy and transparent solution of the South Ossetian conflict,” the declaration reads.

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=14078

[Berianidze]

I really despise Saakashvili. Russia and Georgia should be united, in an equal relationship against Western interests. He has caused a lot of problems and is not very well liked. I am curious to see what happens (if anything) with the recent cabinet shuffles (Okruashvili to Economy Minister and Kezerashvili to Defence Minister).