TSKHINVAL, June 1 (RIA Novosti) - South Ossetia's ruling Unity party has won parliamentary elections, garnering 46.38% of the vote, local election authorities said on Monday citing preliminary results after 100% of ballots had been counted.
Sunday's vote was the first since Russia recognized South Ossetia as an independent state following a brief war with Georgia, which attacked the region last August.
"The Central Election Commission has received the results of voting from all the 95 polling stations," commission chief Bella Pliyeva told a news conference.
She said citing preliminary data that turnout was high at 81.93%.
South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said in an address to the nation that the elections were a test of the state's independence. "And we have proved it. We deserve to live in an independent state," he said.
Russia's independent Ekho Moskvy radio said citing a South Ossetian opposition leader, Albert Dzhusoyev, that the authorities had forced people to vote.
Opponents of the current president earlier said they would boycott the elections of the 34-seat assembly and seek early presidential elections.
Observers said no major violations were reported during the vote. The 11-member mission involved monitors from ex-Soviet republics, Germany, Italy and Poland.
The poll took place amid heavy police and troop presence in the republic.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Kokoity claimed two terrorist acts, including an explosion in a residential building, had been prevented in the past two days. He said the acts were designed to prevent the elections going ahead.
