South-Ossetian MPs: referendum on joining Russia needs revision

The referendum on the South Ossetia's inclusion into Russia should be preceded by serious preparatory work among the population. This opinion was expressed by South-Ossetian politicians. They believe that the referendum could act as an annoying factor in the community in case if it is organized on the eve of the presidential election.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 26, at the meeting of the political council of the President of South Ossetia, President Leonid Tibilov and Parliament Speaker Anatoly Bibilov signed a joint statement on the advisability of holding the referendum after the presidential election scheduled in South Ossetia for 2017.

"In case if we choose to hold the referendum now, we will not get 99% of votes for joining Russia, like it was during the 1992 referendum. We need to carry out a strong preparatory work among the population, since in 1992, people had the complete understanding of the necessity to join the Russian Federation, while today, there are other opinions, and it is difficult to assess the extent to which those opinions may grow," said Parliament Speaker Anatoly Bibilov at the meeting.

"Although being vital for all of us, the referendum can become an annoying factor if it is held before the presidential election," in his turn, notes Stanislav Kochiev, the leader of the Communist Party and a South-Ossetian MP.

The referendum should be postponed to the post-election period to "avoid making the referendum a victim of the presidential election," Stanislav Kochiev believes.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.