All news

Riot police and opposition continue fighting at Nikolayev region’s election commission

Oppositionists would not let the Berkut riot police forces to take protocols for a recalculation of the vote

ODESSA, November 2 (Itar-Tass) — The court will have hearings on Friday about the conflict between the opposition’s candidate Arkady Kornatsky and the Party of Region’s candidate Vitaly Travyanko.

On Friday night, fighting began near the building of the elections commission building in the town of Pervomaisk in the Nikolayev region between the opposition and the riot police.

The Berkut riot police forces arrived to the elections stations at 01:00 /03:00 Moscow time/ to take protocols for a recalculation of the vote. However, several dozen oppositionists would not let them do so. The police managed to get into the building to take boxes with protocols only with the use of tear gas and rubber truncheons, a representative of the opposition Nazar Pervak said. “Three people, who would not allow taking of the ballots, suffered in the clashes, they have haematomas under eyes and their clothes are torn. The ambulance doctors could not provide the first aid as they were not allowed into the building,” he said.

The opposition blocked immediately all the roads in the city with trucks, blocked the Nikolayev-Kiev highway and filed a suit. The hearings are due at 11:00 /13:00 Moscow time/ on Friday, November 2.

Chaos and traffic jams continue in the city. A bus with the Berkut police forces and confiscated protocols is downtown. Drivers are unable to move on and attempt using sidewalks.

Two days earlier Arkady Kornatsky, a candidate of the opposition, was announced the elections’ winner. Later, data at the Central Elections Commission’s server began to change. The opposition claim that three thousand votes for a candidate from communists were given to Vitaly Travyanko of the Party of Regions, thus bringing him to the first position.

The disputes continue in five electoral districts: two in Kiev, in Kanev of the Cherkassk region and in Zhmerinka of the Vinnitsa region.