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International observers confirm no violations at Crimean polls

43 international observers from 20 countries are working in Crimea

SIMFEROPOL, March 18. /TASS/. International observers who came to Crimea from Spain and Sweden have said they had found no violations whatsoever at Russia’s presidential election during their visits to polling stations.

"We have been to three polling stations. We saw no violations anywhere, everything is being done professionally and properly," Daniel Christopher Vallander, an international observer from Sweden, told reporters.

His Spanish counterpart concurred. "We are satisfied with the process (of voting in Crimea), we found no violations," Spanish observer Diego Peres stated.

According to the local election commission, 43 international observers from 20 countries, including from the US, the UK, Ukraine, France and Italy, are working in Crimea, with the majority of them operating in Yalta, Sevastopol and Simferopol.

The Russian presidential election is being held in Crimea for the first time. There, a total of 1,206 polling stations opened across the region at 08:00 Moscow time, where about 1.5 million voters can go to the polls. As of 12:00 Moscow time, 506,200 people or 33.81% of Crimea’s voters cast their ballots.