A former Russian federal official has been elected president of South Ossetia, a Russia-backed breakaway region of Georgia, in a vote Moscow hailed on Saturday as a sign of the territory’s desire for closer ties with Moscow.
Marat Kambolov, the new president, is from North Ossetia, a Russian republic on the other side of the Caucasus mountains from South Ossetia.
He has no previous ties to South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and later secured de facto independence with Russian backing. A brief war between Russia and Georgia in 2008 drove Georgian forces from parts of the territory they had previously controlled.
Moscow welcomed Kambolov’s victory.
“The results demonstrate South Ossetian society’s widespread desire for domestic political stability, progress and the comprehensive development of ties with the Russian Federation,” the Foreign Ministry said.
South Ossetia and Russia signed a treaty in May that deepened cooperation on defence, foreign and security policy and set out plans to integrate energy grids and transport networks.
Georgia condemned the treaty as an attempt by Russia to cement its “de facto annexation” of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another Russia-backed breakaway Georgian region.
Tbilisi also criticised Russia’s decision to open polling stations in both territories for its State Duma elections running from September 18 to 20.
