81,5 percent of participants in the referendum held on Sunday in South Ossetia agree to the introduction of the name Alania for the republic. This is evidenced by exit poll data conducted at 23 out of 77 polling stations.
As you know, one of the Russian regions is already called “Alania”. This is the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Experts believe that it will now be possible to raise the question of the merger of the two Alanias and the entry of South Ossetia into Russia.
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In the presidential elections, which were held simultaneously with the referendum, a second round is expected: polls showed that the current head of the republic, Leonid Tibilov, is gaining 45,8 percent of the vote, his closest rival, Parliament Speaker Anatoly Bibilov, 36,9 percent. In order to win, a candidate needs more than 50 percent of the votes.
South Ossetia, which declared its independence from Georgia in 1991, has the status of a partially recognized republic. It is considered an independent state by five countries: Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Tuvalu.