Gagloev Ahead in South Ossetia’s Presidential Runoff With Over 53%, Elections Commission Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The head of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, is second in the presidential runoff, according to voting results released by the Central Election Commission after over 85 percent of the ballots were counted.

Bibilov has 41.3 percent, while the leader of the Nykhas opposition party, Alan Gagloev, has 53.67 percent.

Late on Sunday, Bibilov acknowledged his defeat in the second round of the presidential election and congratulated Gagloev.

Bibilov said after accepting his rival’s victory that a referendum on South Ossetia joining Russia will still be held and that all the relevant documents have already been submitted to the Central Election Commission, which is yet to determine the date.

The second round of the presidential election was held in South Ossetia on Sunday, while the first round was held on April 10 (Gagloev received 38.55 percent, while Bibilov got 34.95 percent).

In April, Bibilov said that the republic's strategic goal is to join Russia. The head of the information and analytical directorate of South Ossetia's presidential administration, Yuri Vazagov, told Sputnik last month that preparations for a referendum on South Ossetia's accession to Russia may be completed in May or June.

South Ossetia, along with another breakaway region, Abkhazia, declared independence from Georgia in August 2008 following an offensive of the Georgian army. Russia has backed South Ossetia and Abkhazia, while Georgia never recognized their independence and continues to consider them an occupied part of its own territory.