Residents of South Ossetia complain about being forced to visit meeting in support of Tibilov

Over 20 persons stood in support of Leonid Tibilov, the head of South Ossetia, at the meeting of the initiative group to nominate him as a republic’s president candidate.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the election of the head of South Ossetia was scheduled for April 9, 2017. Five persons have expressed their intention to run for the presidency, namely: the incumbent president Leonid Tibilov; Anatoly Bibilov, the Speaker of the Parliament; Eduard Kokoity, a former president; Alan Gagloev, a KGB (Committee for State Security) officer; and a parliamentarian Alan Kozonov.

On January 31, the meeting of the initiative group to nominate the incumbent president of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov for the presidency was attended by up to 600 people, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The meeting lasted for about three hours, since over twenty persons spoke in support of Tibilov, including, among other persons, an ex-presidential candidate Alla Dzhioeva, who stressed that he "had deprived people of the republic of the fear to voice out one’s opinion."

However, some of those present said that they had been forced to mandatorily attend the meeting of Tibilov’s initiative group.

According to a lady-employee of the State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company, “an announcement was hung up in the lobby that all the employees must come to the meeting of the initiative group."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.