Tskhinvali Puppet Regime Announces Referendum to Change Name of South Ossetia
Leonid Tibilov, ostensible President of Georgia’s breakaway region South Ossetia, has announced a referendum to rename South Ossetia into Alania, “a historic name.”
The information was released by Ossetian news agency PEC, which says that the referendum will be held on April 9, 2017 together with the presidential elections.
Tibilov’s order defines the referendum question: "Do you agree to amend the first article of the Constitution as follows: the Republic of South Ossetia – the state of Alania, a sovereign, democratic, legal state, which was created on the basis of self-determination of the Republic’s people. The name - the Republic of South Ossetia and the State of Alania are the same."
The nominal president initially raised the issue in 2015, saying that South Ossetia should have the name of its founder. Tibilov also published an open letter to the residents Republic of South Ossetia, explaining the necessity of changing the name.
Georgia's President, Giorgi Margvelashvili commented on the issue, saying that any attempt to change the name of Georgia's occupied region, without the consent of the Georgian government, is an action against Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is a step towards further annexation of the occupied territories.
"A plebiscite, elections, or any other action which would involve the free expression of the population, cannot be implemented on the territory, which is occupied by a foreign government, who expelled the majority of the indigenous population and carried out ethnic cleansing and where the only force, implementing effective control is the Russian Federation," Margvelashvili stated.
The president urges on the Russian Federation to fulfil its international obligations and take real steps towards the deoccupation of Georgian territories. Margvelashvili also called on the international community to prevent any attempt at legitimization of the plebiscite or election.
By Thea Morrison