South Ossetia delays referendum on joining Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Leonid Tibilov, President of the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, March 31, 2016. (Maxim Shipenkov/Pool photo via AP)

South Ossetia, the breakaway region of Georgia, announced that the referendum on joining Russia will be conducted in 2017, instead of, in August this year.

According to the announcement, the referendum is planned to be held after the presidential elections in South Ossetia.

Recently Leonid Tibilov, the head of the breakaway region, told that “We plan to hold a referendum on supplementing that article with paragraphs stating that the Republic of South Ossetia is entitled to hand part of its powers to the Russian Federation; we are already discussing the terms. But I can’t voice the particular date. This will happen in the near future; we are planning for August.” Russian President Vladimir Putin answered the questions about referendum by saying, “We do not consider our relations with South Ossetia in such context.”