The Supreme Court of South Ossetia quashed the appeal of opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva against the annulment of the November 27 runoff results, prompting the former candidate to consider seeking a political asylum.
“The ruling to cancel the election results will remain in force and the appeal is rejected,” court spokesman Atsamaz Bichenov said quoting the court decision.
The situation in restive South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia, heated up after Dzhioyeva won the November 27 runoff against a Kremlin-backed rival, according to preliminary results. Two days later, the republic's Supreme Court annulled the voting results, citing violations.
New elections have been set up for March 25 but Dzhioyeva has been banned from running by the court.
Her supporters have been rallying on the central square of the capital Tskhinvali for eight days.
Dzhioyeva, also a former education minister, has proclaimed herself president and set the “street” inauguration for December 10. She has summoned an emergency meeting of her key supporters following the court ruling on Tuesday to discuss political asylum prospects and involvement of international organizations.
The protesters earlier demanded that the Russian intermediary in the talks between Dzhioyeva and President Eduard Kokoity be removed. The Russian authorities have called on the sides to find a compromise and promised not to interfere.
In a latest development, unknown assailants fired a shot from a grenade launcher at the apartment of South Ossetian Prosecutor General Taimuraz Khugayev early on Tuesday in what the country's leader Kokoity described as a "provocation."
The republic of South Ossetia proclaimed independence after a brief war with Georgia in 2008 and has been recognized by Russia and just four other countries. Ninety-six percent of South Ossetians hold Russian passports.
