1996 South Ossetian presidential election

Presidential elections were held in South Ossetia on 10 November 1996.[1] The result was a victory for the incumbent head of state Lyudvig Chibirov, who received 52% of the vote.[2]

1996 South Ossetian presidential election

10 November 1996 2001 →
 
Nominee Lyudvig Chibirov Gerasim Khugayev
Percentage 52.3% 23.9%

President before election

Position established

Elected President

Lyudvig Chibirov

Background

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This was the first election in the region since the 1990 Georgian Supreme Soviet election before the collapse of the USSR and Georgian independence. Since prior to the region's breakaway in 1991, the head of state's title had been 'Chairman of the Presidium of the South Ossetian Supreme Council', a role equivalent to Speaker, and there had been three officeholders since the declaration of independence: Torez Kulumbegov from 1990 to his imprisonment in 1991, then Znaur Gassiev who held the role during Torez's imprisonment in 1991–1992, before Torez returned to the position in 1992; he was succeeded in 1993 by Lyudvig Chibirov, who held office until 1996 when the Parliament of South Ossetia issued a series of amendments to the constitution which created a new presidential form of government.[3]

Results

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Chibirov was elected with 52% of the vote, meaning no runoff was required. Gerasim Khugayev finished second with 24% while three other candidates collectively received 24% of the vote.

CandidateVotes%
Lyudvig Chibirov52.3
Gerasim Khugayev23.9
Three other candidates23.8
Total
Registered voters/turnout61.3
Source: Jeffries

Reactions

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Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze stated that the elections "cannot be considered legitimate", but said that the peace process "should go ahead".[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Elections in Abkhazia and South Ossetia". Keesing's Record of World Events. 42: 41382. November 1996.
  2. ^ Ian Jeffries (2003) The Caucasus and Central Asian Republics at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: A Guide to the Economies in Transition, Routledge
  3. ^ "Developments in South Ossetia". Keesing's Record of World Events. 42: 41281. September 1996.