Meeting between Bibilov and Russian official

Dmitry Kozak, the deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, hosted Anatoly Bibilov in Moscow, according to the de-facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetian) leader's office.

According to a news release from Bibilov's office, the discussion focused on the implementation of the plans for the social and economic development of the occupied zone, as well as the efficient use of Russian budget funds.

Bibilov and Kozak also addressed the development of bilateral agreements on compensation increases for security and public-sector employees in South Ossetia. According to Bibilov's office, these agreements will be signed in May. "The Russian side emphasised the importance of continued coordination [between] the two countries' executive authorities on a wide range of issues and expressed hope for [South] Ossetian partners' commitment to maintaining social and political stability in the republic and Russia-oriented foreign policy," the press release stated.

Bibilov has made "unification with Russia" a primary campaign subject during his re-election campaign, a move that has been praised by Russian parliamentarians but chastised by Tbilisi and the West.

In South Ossetia, the date of the second round of presidential elections will be postponed again

The Central Election Commission of South Ossetia announced the cancellation of the second round of presidential elections in the republic, which was to be held on April 28.

The decision was made by the Supreme Court (SC) of South Ossetia. They explained that three residents of the republic filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court demanding that the CEC's decision to hold the second round of elections be declared illegal.

The plaintiffs asked the court to oblige the CEC to set the date for the repeat voting in compliance with the norms of the current legislation. The Supreme Court granted these demands. At the same time, it is not explained why the highest court so quickly and unconditionally sided with the unnamed “three citizens.”

But the secretary of the local CEC, Kristina Avlokhova, said that the cancellation was due to the date of the second round. The appointment of elections for Thursday, according to residents, is contrary to the law, violating the electoral rights of citizens of South Ossetia living outside the republic. “The Supreme Court cancelled the election date. We are waiting for the court decision. A new date will be set soon,” the secretary said.

The second round, according to the law, must take place 15 days after the first, which took place on April 10. However, in this case, it fell on a holiday, so it was postponed to April 28, the agency notes. However, the current de-facto president of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov stated that he intended to challenge the date of the second round of the presidential elections in the republic, since it falls on a working day.