European Union calls South Ossetia elections ‘illegitimate’
June 2nd, 2009 16:02
BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union says elections for South Ossetia’s separatist parliament are illegitimate and says the 27-nation bloc will not accept the election results.
Sunday’s ballot was South Ossetia’s first election since a war last summer between Russia and Georgia. After the fighting, Russia recognized the separatist Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries. The EU, however, still considers the two provinces to be part of Georgia.
The EU’s Czech presidency on Monday says the holding of such elections represents a setback in the search for a peaceful and lasting settlement to the situation in Georgia.