TSKHINVALI (South Ossetia), (Sputnik) — Nearly 80 percent of South Ossetian voters back the name-change of the partially recognized state to "Alania," the head of South Ossetia's central election commission told reporters Monday.

"On the referendum, 78 percent voted in favor, 20 percent against," Bella Plieva said, underscoring that these are preliminary results.

Plieva said final results would be available within five days.

The breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. In August 2008, Georgia launched a military offensive against South Ossetia. Trying to protect local residents, many of whom had Russian citizenship, Russia sent troops to South Ossetia and engaged in a five-day war with Georgia. As a result, Russia managed to expel Georgian troops from the breakaway region and recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi does not recognize the republics' independence and considers them part of Georgia. </s> Officials in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region say the speaker of the de facto parliament, Anatoly Bibilov, has won a presidential election condemned by Tbilisi and the West as illegitimate.

The head of the separatist government's election commission, Bella Pliyeva, said on April 10 that with about 90 percent of the ballots counted, Bibilov had around 58 percent of the vote -- enough to avoid a second-round runoff.

Incumbent leader Leonid Tibilov had 30 percent and regional KGB security service officer Alan Gagloyev had 11 percent, Pliyeva said.

Pliyeva added that some 78 percent of voters supported a proposal to change the region's name from the Republic of South Ossetia to the Republic of South Ossetia-Alania.

As with past ballots in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another Russia-backed breakaway region, the United States, the European Union, and Georgia called the April 9 votes illegitimate and said they would not recognize the results.

In a statement on April 9, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said the name-change referendum in the region “aims at laying the ground for its illegal annexation” by Russia.

Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries after fighting a brief war against Georgia in 2008, and maintains thousands of troops in both regions.

With reporting by civil.ge, Interfax, and TASS </s> South Ossetia’s election officials say Anatoly Bibilov, the speaker of the breakaway Georgian region's parliament, has taken the lead in a presidential election that was rejected by Tbilisi and condemned as “illegitimate” by the United States.

The election commission on April 10 said Bibilov had 48.7 percent with 35 percent of votes counted, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported. A candidate needs 50 percent to avoid a runoff on April 23. Turnout was reported at 81 percent.

TASS quoted Bibilov as claiming he had won 54.9 percent of the vote, avoiding the runoff.

The news agency said 78 percent of voters supported a referendum to change the region’s name to "Republic of South Ossetia - State of Alania," a move also condemned by Georgia and the United States.

Russia recognized South Ossetia, along with another breakaway Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent countries after fighting a brief war against Georgia in 2008.

It has kept thousands of troops in the regions, deployments NATO says violate the EU-brokered deal that ended the fighting.

The United States and all but a handful of countries consider South Ossetia and Abkhazia to be parts of Georgia.

Mark C. Toner, acting spokesman for the U.S. State Department, on April 7 said the United States did not accept the "illegitimate elections” in South Ossetia and previous ones held in Abkhazia on March 12 and March 26.

"The United States fully supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and its sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders,” he added. “Our position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia is clear and consistent. These regions are integral parts of Georgia."

The Georgian Foreign Ministry on April 9 said it “condemns the so-called presidential election and referendum taking place on the grounds of the occupied Tskhinvali region.”

It said the referendum question to change the name of the region was meant to prepare the ground of an illegal annexation by Russia.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax </s> Leonid Tibilov, the leader of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, casts his ballot with his grandson during presidential elections in Tskhinvali in Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia, Sunday, April 9, 2017. Voters in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia are electing a president and deciding on a referendum on whether to add the word Alania to the region's name, which critics say would be a step toward incorporating South Ossetia into Russia. (AP Photo/Anton Podgaiko) </s> The occupied region of South Ossetia held a referendum Sunday for a new president and a name change — one some see as a threat to bring the region closer to Russian control.

South Ossetia declared itself independent in 1992. That independence is not recognized by most countries or international organizations in the world. It is, however, recognized by Russia. South Ossetia was the site of the Aug. 2008 war between Russia and Georgia (it was after this war that Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia, as well as that of Georgia’s other breakaway region, Abkhazia). In 2015, Russia signed a border agreement with South Ossetia. Russia financially backs South Ossetia. Economic hardships in recent years have not changed that. Russia keeps troops in South Ossetia.

If one were to recognize the referendum results — which NATO, the U.S. State Department, the European Union, and the government of Georgia do not — one would say that they gave South Ossetia a new president, Anatoly Bibilov. So, too, would one say that South Ossetia has a new name: South Ossetia – the State of Alania.

That name change is significant because it mirrors that of North Ossetia – the State of Alania, which is a federal subject of Russia. The referendum stopped short of offering voters the mostly internationally unrecognized opportunity to reunify Ossetia, thereby bringing South Ossetia under (Russia would say) Russian control. But the name change brings the breakaway region closer to that point.

That’s a reality that doesn’t go unacknowledged by Georgians. “This is a clear provocation by Russia that seeks to undermine Georgia’s efforts at reconciliation and confidence-building between communities divided by the occupation lines,” David Bakradze, Georgia’s ambassador to the United States, told Foreign Policy. “This illegal attempt to rename one of Georgia’s historic regions to a name similar to one of the subjects of the Russian Federation is aimed at laying the groundwork for further steps towards illegal annexation.”

Even if the threat of annexation remains just a threat, the referendum is a promise to, at the very least, continue the status quo, one in which Russia recognizes — and actively supports the existence of — the independence of part of a country it used to rule. “The ongoing occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory remains the greatest existential challenge that we face,” Bakradze said. And the referendum and name change and new “president” are all reminders that that challenge isn’t going away.

Or, to put it another way: Given that it’s been almost a decade since Russia’s war with Georgia, perhaps the case of South Ossetia serves as a reminder that, when it comes to what it considers to be its sphere of influence, Russia does not let go.

Update: This piece originally referred to South Ossetia as a “breakaway region.” It has been changed to “occupied region” in order to more fully reflect international law. </s> MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Prior to the opening of the polling stations the security was beefed up. At the same time, the republic's border with Georgia will remain closed until Monday.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) said that turnout had been increasing and it was expected to reach over 50 percent.

The election is monitored by over 80 observers.

Tibilov first proposed to rename the republic to South Ossetia-Alania in analogy with the Russian constituent of North Ossetia-Alania, while after numerous discussions in February the president scheduled a referendum on renaming South Ossetia to the Republic of South Ossetia-the State of Alania.

The breakaway republic of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. In August 2008, Georgia launched a military offensive against South Ossetia. Trying to protect local residents, many of whom had Russian citizenship, Russia sent troops to South Ossetia and engaged in a five-day war with Georgia. As a result, Russia managed to expel Georgian troops from the breakaway region and recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi does not recognize the republics' independence and considers them part of Georgia. </s> "Of course, not everyone agree with what is happening. We are free and we enhance our independence, sovereignty by ourselves, and if someone's oversea patrons are against elections in South Ossetia, against the renaming of South Ossetia, we will not pay attention to it," Tibilov said at a meeting with a delegation of observers from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tibilov noted the republic's authorities did the utmost to ensure safety and security during the elections and the referendum.

Presidential elections will be held in South Ossetia on April 9 together with a referendum on renaming the republic to the Republic of South Ossetia-the State of Alania. The candidates for the position of the republic's leader are incumbent South Ossetian President Tibilov, parliamentary speaker Anatoly Bibilov and Alan Gagloyev, State Security officer.

The breakaway republic of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. In August 2008, Georgia launched a military offensive against South Ossetia. Trying to protect local residents, many of whom had Russian citizenship, Russia sent troops to South Ossetia and engaged in a five-day war with Georgia. As a result, Russia managed to expel Georgian troops from the breakaway region and recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi does not recognize the republics' independence and considers them part of Georgia. </s> The United States has condemned moves by authorities in breakaway regions of Georgia to hold votes and elections that it says are "illegitimate."

 

 U.S. State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner on April 7 singled out for condemnation a referendum scheduled for April 9 on changing the name of South Ossetia to the Republic of South Ossetia-Alania.

 

 He also said the United States did not recognize the results of the "illegitimate elections conducted in Abkhazia on March 12 and March 26 or the election planned for April 9 in South Ossetia."

 

 "These illegitimate elections and referenda are being conducted in Georgian territory without the consent of the government of Georgia," Toner said in a statement.

"The United States fully supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and its sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders," he added. "Our position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia is clear and consistent. These regions are integral parts of Georgia."

 

 Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries after fighting a brief war against Georgia in 2008. </s> "The European Union does not recognise the framework in which the so-called Presidential elections and the referendum on amending the name of the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia," the spokeswoman said, citing a statement issued on Saturday ahead of the vote.

She added that the European Union reaffirmed its strong commitment to peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the EU co-chairmanship of the Geneva International Discussions and the EU Monitoring Mission.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the election in South Ossetia "was an absolutely politically competitive democratic electoral process." Head of the Russian State Duma’s delegation of observers Nikolay Govorin on Sunday confirmed that the election and referendum met the national legislation of South Ossetia, as well as the "universally recognized democratic principles and norms of organization and conduct of free, fair elections."

The breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. In August 2008, Georgia launched a military offensive against South Ossetia. Trying to protect local residents, many of whom held Russian citizenship, Russia sent troops to South Ossetia and engaged in a five-day war with Georgia. As a result, Russia managed to expel Georgian troops from the region and recognized independence of both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Tbilisi does not recognize the republics' independence and considers them part of Georgia.
Voters in the breakaway state of South Ossetia go to the polls for an election and a referendum. The referendum will ask voters if the country's official name should be changed to "Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania".