GEORGIA: Alternative South Ossetia ballot in Georgia sign of divisions that plague one of the ex-Soviet Union's frozen conflicts

A referendum on Sunday (November 12) to endorse the self-proclaimed independence of Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia, will produce a flurry of angry rhetoric but no solution to one of the ex-Soviet Union's "frozen conflicts." The separatist statelet of about 70,000 people threw off Georgian rule in a war that ended 14 years ago. It will ask voters to re-affirm their support for a split that Georgia condemns as illegal and has vowed to reverse. South Ossetians will also vote on Sunday in a presidential election. Incumbent Eduard Kokoity has no serious rivals. The referendum has already underlined national and international divisions over South Ossetia. Residents in Georgian villages dotted around the region will vote in an alternative ballot, with pro-Tbilisi politician Dmitry Sanakoyev, the favourite. The separatists said the vote is a ploy by Tbilisi to split their ranks. "When we realised that many people will not take part in these elections, with the fact that South Ossetia is divided into Georgian South Ossetia, and Ossetian South Ossetia, we decided that the elections should be held on the whole territory of South Ossetia," said Uruzmag Karkusov, the man will run the alternative ballot on Sunday. On Wednesday (November 8), Sanakoyev toured some of the villages close to the South Ossetia region, to encourage people to vote in the alternative referendum and presidential ballot. He rejected South Ossetian claims that the alternative ballot is a political ploy, and suggested he would be happy to see some sort of autonomy for South Ossetia within the existing borders of Georgia. "All I want is to have peace in South Ossetia, I want the republic of South Ossetia to be recognised by Georgia, Russia and by the whole World. This is the important thing. And as for Georgia's territorial integrity, as long as we are talking about statehood, as long as we are talking about the republic (of South Ossetia), we should recognise territorial integrity of any state as these are international principles and norms," said Sanakoyev. In Russia, Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov stopped short of recognising the vote, but said it would send an important signal to Tbilisi. Washington said the vote would exacerbate tensions, while the European Union said it had no significance. Georgia's conflict with South Ossetia -- and a second breakaway region of Abkhazia -- has pitted it against Moscow. Most residents hold Russian passports and Georgia accuses Moscow of effectively annexing the regions. The referendum comes as relations between Moscow and Tbilisi are at rock bottom. Russia cut transport links last month after a spying row and it now says it may cut gas supplies unless Georgia agrees to a twofold price increase. The "Yes" vote is almost certain to win by a big margin. Moscow has warned if Kosovo wins independence from Serbia, it could use that as a precedent to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Despite a 1992 ceasefire, gun fights still flare up in the rolling, wooded hinterland around the separatists' territory, in the foothills of the snow-covered Caucasus mountains. Some observers predict new violence this weekend, though a Reuters reporter in South Ossetia this week said there was no sign of increased military activity.

ITN Source | November 11, 2006

Tags:. .conflict. .divisions. .bottom. .existing. .ranks