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Discontent nationalists seize district election committee in Kiev

Representatives of the nationalist party Svoboda (freedom) have seized the building housing a district election committee in Kiev

© ITAR-TASS/Valeriy Sharifulin

KIEV, December 16, 13:34 /ITAR-TASS/. Representatives of the nationalist party Svoboda (freedom) have seized the building housing a district election committee in the election constituency number 223 in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, as they are discontent with the preliminary results of the Ukrainian parliamentary by-election at which their candidate had lost on December 15.

The eyewitnesses noted that the nationalists had blocked the entrance in the building and are destroying the documents. The election monitors turned out to be hostages and cannot leave the building.

According to the country’s Central Elections Commission, self-nominee Viktor Pilipishin is leading at the election constituency number 223 after 44.98 percent of votes had been counted. The Svoboda candidate has polled less than six percent of votes.

The Svoboda representatives stated that they would not recognize the election results. Many experts warned about a scenario when the nationalists would be fanning up tension and would try to talk the protesters on Kiev’s Independence Square into joining the protest action at the electoral constituency number 223.

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