Medvedev Receives 90% in Abkhazia, S.Ossetia

Dimitry Medvedev received 90% of the vote in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the Russian presidential election, Abkhaz and South Ossetian sources reported on March 3.

51,000 Russian passport holders voted in Abkhazia, according to a Russian Central Election Commission official, Sergey Maligin, Apsnipress news agency reported.

The South Ossetian Press and Information Committee said Medvedev had garnered 90.24% of votes in the region. Voter turnout in South Ossetia was not reported.

Georgia has protested against the polls in the breakaway regions. The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on February 26: “[Tbilisi] deems holding the Russian presidential election in Georgia’s conflict zones, without the consent of the Georgian central authorities, a violation of universally recognized norms of international law and disregard for the sovereignty of Georgia.”