Georgia: Separatist official comments on US, EU position on Ossetia election
Interfax
Tskhinvali, 2 June: The South Ossetian authorities are not surprised by the USA's and the European Union's refusal to recognize the results of the 31 May parliamentary election as legitimate.
"South Ossetia has grown used to such statements after all the elections we held," South Ossetian foreign minister Murat Dzhioyev told Interfax.
Dzhioyev was commenting on Deputy State Department spokesman Robert Wood's statement that the USA would not recognize the South Ossetian parliamentary election, considering it illegitimate and one exacerbating the situation in the region. Dzhioyev noted that a similar statement had previously been made by the EU.
"We express our regret with regard to a number of statements made by the EU secretary and the deputy US State Department spokesman that the election was illegitimate," Dzhioyev noted.
He said that the US deputy state department spokesman "was a little late to warn that holding an election in South Ossetia represents a digression from the principles of a peaceful settlement of the conflict".
"After the Georgian aggression the matter concerns the settlement of the relations between the South Ossetian republic and the Georgian Republic as two neighbouring states, rather than the settlement of the conflict," Dzhioyev noted.
"The most important thing for us is to ensure that the South Ossetian people recognize the election and its democracy and transparency is confirmed by all international observers and journalists," the foreign minister said.
He stressed that the parliamentary election was held in full compliance with the South Ossetian legislation, "and it is unclear whose laws it does not comply with". "All international observers confirmed that it [the election] is in full compliance with the international law," the minister said.
He specified that observers from over 15 states working in all of the republic's polling stations confirmed that the election was legitimate, transparent and democratic.
In the meantime, Dzhioyev said that despite the EU's and the USA's negative reaction to the past election, South Ossetia is ready to construct equal relations with all the states. "We are ready and wish to become a member of the international community. By no means shall we digress from our independent path chosen by our people," Dzhioyev said.