Leonid Tibilov headed the South Ossetian KGB as South Ossetia's Security Minister from 1992 to 1998.[2] He was then a first deputy prime minister and co-chaired a Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping commission.[2] Tibilov stood at the 2006 presidential election losing to Eduard Kokoity, who won 98% of the vote.[3]
Before the 2012 election Tibilov distanced himself from the outgoing President Kokoity.[4] Tibilov is reported to be subservient to Russia and pledged to consult Russia before appointing a government if he was successful at the election.[4]
In the first round of the 2012 Presidential election, Tibilov received 42.5% of the vote to lead David Sanakoyev.[5] In the second round, Tibilov was elected president with 54.1% of the vote.[6]
In a move towards integration with the Russian Federation, Tibilov proposed in December 2015 a name change to "South Ossetia–Alania" in analogy with "North Ossetia–Alania", a Russian federal subject. Tibilov furthermore suggested holding a referendum on joining the Russian Federation prior to April 2017, which would lead to a united "Ossetia–Alania".[7] In April 2016, Tibilov said he intended to hold the referendum before August of that year.[8][9] However, on 30 May, Tibilov postponed the referendum until after the presidential election due in April 2017.[10] At the 2017 South Ossetian name change referendum, nearly 80 percent of those who voted endorsed the name-change, while the presidential race was won by Anatoly Bibilov – against the incumbent, Tibilov, who had been supported by Moscow and who, unlike Bibilov, was ready to heed Moscow's wish for the integration referendum not be held any time soon.[11] However, Bibilov posteriorly also stated that a referendum would probably be done in 2017, although he still said that it could be postponed.[12]
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