YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. The leadership of South Ossetia has made a decision to postpone till 2017 a referendum on whether the republic should apply for accession to Russia, as followed by a joint statement by President Leonid Tibilov and parliamentary speaker Anatoly Bibilov, made after a meeting of the Political Council under the head of state, reports TASS.

"Guided by the long-term interests of the South Ossetian people and striving for the stability of the socio-political situation in the republic we support the Political Council in its decision to the effect it will be expedient to call a referendum on South Ossetia’s application for joining the Russian Federation in 2017, after the presidential election," the statement says.

Earlier, calls for postponing the referendum came from representatives of the public, government members, presidential staff officials, legislators, and heads of districts, South Ossetia’s Security Council, the state security committee and other law enforcement structures.

According to earlier reports the referendum might have been called this year.