30 August 2004, 23:03
Violations recorded everywhere in Chechnya on election day
Observers and local residents claim that numerous violations took place in the course of the August 29 presidential election in all districts of Chechnya. The main problem of precinct election commissions (PECs) was a low turnout. But PEC officials made up the lack of voters by the most simple and accessible means, many observers say. They threw in ballots.
According to information obtained from Movsur Khamidov's election staff, observers recorded 233 people who took part in the voting during the day at PEC 378 in the Leninsky district of Grozny. But the PEC chairman announced 683 people came to vote.
In Gudermes, the second largest town in Chechnya, only 5 people voted at polling station 104 for an hour (from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.). 8 people came to polling station 105. Meanwhile official authorities announced that over 10% of voters (6,456 people) had voted by 10 a.m. in the Gudermes district.
In the village of Dyshni-Vedeno, Chechnya's Vedeno district, officers of a local security agency threatened PEC officials with physical violence and demanded to indicate in the minutes that the majority of people gave their votes for Alu Alkhanov.
Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent Source: Caucasian Knot
