Azerbaijan, Baku, June 1 / Trend , E.Ostapenko /
Holding parliamentary elections in South Ossetia will solve nothing and will not change the current situation in Georgia, said the ex-President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.
"I do not think that holding elections in South Ossetia would be able to solve or change something," Shevardnadze told Trend by telephone from Tbilisi on June 1.
Last weekend parliamentary elections took place in unrecognized region of Georgia - South Ossetia, for the first time since the Russian-Georgian war in August last year.
The race for 34 parliamentary seats in the parliament of South Ossetia was attended by four political parties - Unity, Communist Party, People's Party and Fatherland Party. According to the initial data, the Unity Party won, gaining 46.38 percent of the votes, RIA Novosti reported with reference to the Central Election Commission of South Ossetia.
The voting was held under the proportional system. Nearly 52,436 voters were registered. Also, six polling stations were opened in North Ossetia and one in Moscow.
Speaking about the legality of the elections in the unrecognized republics, Shevardnadze said that the existence of independent states - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - is illegal, and therefore "the legality of the elections is also in doubt."
"Abkhazia and South Ossetia are occupied lands, he said. - What are the elections in the occupied lands?"
The leadership of the Czech Republic, which chairs the European Union, stated on June 1 that the EU does not recognize legitimate any elections in South Ossetia, nor its results.
"Holding illegal elections is a step backwards in efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution of the situation in Georgia," says the statement.
However, the head of Russia's Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov said that "the elections were organized at a high level even in far villages."
Georgia continues to consider South Ossetia as part of its territory and considers the current elections illegal.
As a result of separation of two regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - from Georgia, military confrontation occurred in August last year in Georgia. The separatist regions were supported by Russia, which established diplomatic relations with them.
Do you have feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]