Political analysts associate question for referendum on South Ossetia's entry to Russia with position of Moscow

The formulations of the question for the referendum on the entry of South Ossetia to Russia will not affect the position of the Kremlin, which is not going to accept a new region right now. This opinion was expressed by political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". However, they believe that the referendum can protect South Ossetia in the event of a real external threat.

On April 11, South-Ossetian leader Leonid Tibilov announced the plans to hold until August 2016 a referendum on the entry to Russia. The presidential administration intends to offer citizens to agree with the amendments to the Constitution which provide the South-Ossetian President with the rights to appeal to the Kremlin with a request to include South Ossetia in Russia.

Anatoly Bibilov, Speaker of the South-Ossetian, opposes such a formulation. He has noted that the question for the referendum should be "clear and precise."

According to Arthur Byazrov, Candidate of Political Sciences, a lecturer of constitutional and administrative law at the North-Caucasian Mining and Metallurgical Institute, a point of contention is in the technical side of the issue: whether South Ossetia becomes a part of Russia through the people' support at the referendum or through the decision made by the Parliament, on the basis of which the South-Ossetian President will appeal to Russia with the appropriate request.

At present, Russia is not ready to accept South Ossetia, since this may result in the introduction of new sanctions by the Western countries, believes Alan Mamiev, a political analyst from North Ossetia.

According to him, on the eve of the election campaign in South Ossetia, the political camps of Leonid Tibilov and Anatoly Bibilov try to gain people's support.

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