By empty (11/12/2006 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The South Ossetian referendum on independence and presidential elections have finished, a statement published on the official web site of the South Ossetian State Information and Press Committee reads. \"All polling stations closed in South Ossetia at 8 p.m.
The South Ossetian referendum on independence and presidential elections have finished, a statement published on the official web site of the South Ossetian State Information and Press Committee reads. \"All polling stations closed in South Ossetia at 8 p.m. Moscow time. Ballots are being counted,\" the statement reads. It was reported earlier that South Ossetia\'s Central Elections Commission declared the breakaway republic\'s independence referendum and presidential elections valid. Voter turnout was 91.2% or 50,262 people as of 6:00 p.m. Moscow time,\" Central Elections Commission head Bela Pliyeva told Interfax. According to the South Ossetia legislation, elections are deemed valid in South Ossetia if 50% plus one vote are cast. \"The voter turnover is high at all polling stations. No reports have arrived about irregularities that could influence the outcome of the elections from any of 78 polling stations,\" Pliyeva said. Representatives of the Russian Nashi youth movement monitored elections at 39 out of 78 polling stations. \"Members of the movement were staying at polling stations and they managed to question more than 5,000 people,\" a Nashi press release obtained by Interfax on Sunday reads. \"As of 5.30 p.m. 77% of the population cast their ballots, with 99% of them supporting South Ossetia\'s independence from Georgia. The same number of voters supports incumbent South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity,\" the press release reads. (Interfax)