South Ossetian parliamentary election, 2009
Encyclopedia
A parliamentary election in South Ossetia
, a breakaway region of Georgia
recognised as an independent state by Russia
and Nicaragua
, was held in June 2009. According to the preliminary results, the highest number of votes went to the ruling Unity Party. Two opposition parties were not permitted to run out of concern that they might not be loyal to Eduard Kokoity
, the President of South Ossetia
.
Under laws of Georgia
, the elections were illegal.
The European Union
, the United States
, and NATO have issued statements saying these organisations consider the elections illegal, and have rejected their results.
has a population of about 70,000. It has had de facto
independence from central Georgian rule since the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War. After the August 2008 South Ossetia war
, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia, followed by Nicaragua
. Other countries, including Georgia, consider South Ossetia part of Georgia's constitutional territory.
. According to the central election commission, 45,000 people were registered to vote on Sunday. This was the first South Ossetian election since the republic obtained its limited international recognition in 2008. The election was observed by over 70 observers from 10 countries, including representatives from Abkhazia
, the Czech Republic
, Germany
, Italy
, Kazakhstan
, Kyrgyzstan
, Moldova
, Nagorno-Karabakh
, Ukraine
, Poland
, and Russia
. Among the observers were Vladimir Churov
, the chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia and Giulietto Chiesa
, Italian MEP
for Italy of Values
, former member of the Italian Communist Party
.
About 100 Russian and international reporters arrived in South Ossetia to cover the event. Voters were able to cast ballots at 95 polling station
s, 88 in South Ossetia and 7 in Russia
(6 of them opened in North Ossetia and 1 in Moscow
). No other overseas polling stations were open.
system with a 7% election threshold
. For South Ossetian authorities to consider the election valid, the voter turnout
would have been at least 50% + 1 vote, and at least two parties would have acquired securing seats in the parliament. If these criteria hadn't been fulfilled, the South Ossetian legislation provided for a repeat election in four months.
The Unity Party is the ruling party in the current parliament. According to Reuters
, Unity, Communists, and the People's party support the current President Eduard Kokoity
, while the Fatherland Socialist party opposes him. Two opposition parties were barred from running.
According to the final results of the Parliamentary elections, the Unity Party won 17 places in the Parliament with 21 246 votes, People's Party won 9 places with 10 345 votes, and Communist Party won 8 mandates with 10 194 votes. http://www.vz.ru/news/2009/6/8/295306.html http://www.novopol.ru/news69367.html
: Group of 11 observers, representing Italy
, Germany
, Poland
, and Russia
noted the election was held 'complying with common democratic standards. Italian MEP
Giulietto Chiesa
commented:
: The EU refused to accept either the legality of the election or its results.
NATO: The Secretary-General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
said the alliance did not recognize the elections and reiterated "its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders".
: Georgia dismissed the election as illegitimate. Temur Iakobashvili
, the State Minister for Reintegration commented:
: The United States denounced the elections "as a step away from a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict" and refused to "recognize neither the legality nor the results."
: Andrei Nesterenko, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the election was judged by international observers to be free and compliant with international norms, and that the election is important for the further development and democratisation of South Ossetia. On comments offered by the European Union and the United States, Nesterenko stated:
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
, a breakaway region of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
recognised as an independent state by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, was held in June 2009. According to the preliminary results, the highest number of votes went to the ruling Unity Party. Two opposition parties were not permitted to run out of concern that they might not be loyal to Eduard Kokoity
Eduard Kokoity
Eduard Dzhabeyevich Kokoity is the de facto President of South Ossetia.-Early life:Eduard Kokoity was born on 31 October 1964 in Tskhinvali, in the Georgian SSR, a part of the Soviet Union at the time. Kokoity was a member, and champion, of the Soviet Union's national wrestling team...
, the President of South Ossetia
President of South Ossetia
The President of the Republic of South Ossetia is the de facto head of state of the partially recognized Republic of South Ossetia that is de jure part of Georgia...
.
Under laws of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, the elections were illegal.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and NATO have issued statements saying these organisations consider the elections illegal, and have rejected their results.
Background
The Republic of South OssetiaSouth Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
has a population of about 70,000. It has had de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
independence from central Georgian rule since the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War. After the August 2008 South Ossetia war
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia, followed by Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Other countries, including Georgia, consider South Ossetia part of Georgia's constitutional territory.
Campaign
Four parties were contesting for 34 seats in the Parliament of South OssetiaParliament of South Ossetia
The Parliament of South Ossetia is the unicameral legislature of the partially recognized Republic of South Ossetia. Members are elected using a system of Party-list proportional representation. South Ossetia has a multi-party system, and currently 3 political parties are represented in parliament....
. According to the central election commission, 45,000 people were registered to vote on Sunday. This was the first South Ossetian election since the republic obtained its limited international recognition in 2008. The election was observed by over 70 observers from 10 countries, including representatives from Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Among the observers were Vladimir Churov
Vladimir Churov
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Churov is a Russian official and politician. Since March 26, 2007, he has been a member and the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia....
, the chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia and Giulietto Chiesa
Giulietto Chiesa
Giulietto Chiesa is an Italian journalist and politician, and was a Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Independent - Di Pietro-Occhetto List Civil Society. Originally he represented Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, since 2006 - Party of European Socialists...
, Italian MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for Italy of Values
Italy of Values
Italy of Values is a centrist, populist and anti-corruption political party in Italy. The party, which is affiliated to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party , is headed by former Mani pulite prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro, who entered politics in 1996.The party aims to gather and give...
, former member of the Italian Communist Party
Italian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
.
About 100 Russian and international reporters arrived in South Ossetia to cover the event. Voters were able to cast ballots at 95 polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s, 88 in South Ossetia and 7 in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(6 of them opened in North Ossetia and 1 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
). No other overseas polling stations were open.
Structure
The election was conducted using the party-list proportional representationParty-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
system with a 7% election threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
. For South Ossetian authorities to consider the election valid, the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
would have been at least 50% + 1 vote, and at least two parties would have acquired securing seats in the parliament. If these criteria hadn't been fulfilled, the South Ossetian legislation provided for a repeat election in four months.
Parties
The following parties participated in the election:- Unity PartyUnity Party (South Ossetia)The Unity Party is a major political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. The Unity Party, founded in 2003, supports President Eduard Kokoity, and is currently the largest political party in South Ossetia. As of...
- Communist Party of South OssetiaCommunist Party of South OssetiaThe Communist Party of South Ossetia is a communist political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. The party was founded in 1993. As of 2004, the party claimed a membership of 1500...
- People's Party of South OssetiaPeople's Party of South OssetiaThe People's Party of South Ossetia is a political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. Since the 2009 elections, the party holds 9 of the 34 seats in the Parliament of South Ossetia. The party is led by Kazemir...
- Fatherland Socialist Party
The Unity Party is the ruling party in the current parliament. According to Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, Unity, Communists, and the People's party support the current President Eduard Kokoity
Eduard Kokoity
Eduard Dzhabeyevich Kokoity is the de facto President of South Ossetia.-Early life:Eduard Kokoity was born on 31 October 1964 in Tskhinvali, in the Georgian SSR, a part of the Soviet Union at the time. Kokoity was a member, and champion, of the Soviet Union's national wrestling team...
, while the Fatherland Socialist party opposes him. Two opposition parties were barred from running.
Opinion polls
| Date of poll | Institute | Unity Party Unity Party (South Ossetia) The Unity Party is a major political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. The Unity Party, founded in 2003, supports President Eduard Kokoity, and is currently the largest political party in South Ossetia. As of... |
Communist Party Communist Party of South Ossetia The Communist Party of South Ossetia is a communist political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. The party was founded in 1993. As of 2004, the party claimed a membership of 1500... |
People's Party People's Party of South Ossetia The People's Party of South Ossetia is a political party in South Ossetia, a partially recognized Caucasian republic, considered by most countries to be a part of Georgia. Since the 2009 elections, the party holds 9 of the 34 seats in the Parliament of South Ossetia. The party is led by Kazemir... |
Fatherland Socialist Party | Against all | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2009 | IA "Res" - South Ossetian governmental press service / Min. of press and mass communication | 22% | 32% | 16% | 22% | 8% | n/a |
| 21 April 2009 | IA "Res" - South Ossetian governmental press service / Min. of press and mass communication | 19% | 29% | 14% | 19% | 19% | n/a |
| 26 April - 15 May 2009 | IA "Res" - South Ossetian governmental press service / Min. of press and mass communication | 31.6% | 12.8% | 7.0% | 7.2% | 19.0% | 22.0% |
Election
As of 10:00 UTC, 59.88% of registered voters had cast their votes, crossing the electoral threshold of 50% plus one vote. The South Ossetian election commission has thus declared the elections valid.Result
According to the preliminary results, the Unity Party has obtained the most votes with 46.38% of the vote, followed by People's Party with 22.58% and the Communists with 22.25%, thus securing 17, 9 and 8 parliament seats respectively, while the Fatherland Socialist Party fell just short of passing the 7% threshold with only 6.37%. The official results were expected by June 7.According to the final results of the Parliamentary elections, the Unity Party won 17 places in the Parliament with 21 246 votes, People's Party won 9 places with 10 345 votes, and Communist Party won 8 mandates with 10 194 votes. http://www.vz.ru/news/2009/6/8/295306.html http://www.novopol.ru/news69367.html
Reaction
International observersElection monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
: Group of 11 observers, representing Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
noted the election was held 'complying with common democratic standards. Italian MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Giulietto Chiesa
Giulietto Chiesa
Giulietto Chiesa is an Italian journalist and politician, and was a Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Independent - Di Pietro-Occhetto List Civil Society. Originally he represented Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, since 2006 - Party of European Socialists...
commented:
: The EU refused to accept either the legality of the election or its results.
NATO: The Secretary-General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Jakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as the 11th Secretary General of NATO from January 5, 2004 until August 1, 2009....
said the alliance did not recognize the elections and reiterated "its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders".
: Georgia dismissed the election as illegitimate. Temur Iakobashvili
Temur Iakobashvili
Temuri Yakobashvili is a Georgian political scientist, diplomat, and politician, serving as State Minister for Reintegration since 2008; he was named Deputy Prime Minister in 2009. On November 20, 2010, his nomination as Ambassador to the United States was announced.-Personal life:Yakobashvili...
, the State Minister for Reintegration commented:
: The United States denounced the elections "as a step away from a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict" and refused to "recognize neither the legality nor the results."
: Andrei Nesterenko, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the election was judged by international observers to be free and compliant with international norms, and that the election is important for the further development and democratisation of South Ossetia. On comments offered by the European Union and the United States, Nesterenko stated: