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Ukraine’s elections marked by numerous violations — observers

The Interior Ministry has received a total of 470 reports linked to the violations

© Konstantin Cherginsky/TASS

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Luhansk republic leader claims Ukraine's local election was held with gross violations

KIEV, October 26. /TASS/. The local elections in Ukraine on Sunday were held with numerous violations, the head of Ukraine’s Voters Committee, Alexey Koshel, has told reporters.

"There were numerous violations. The amount of hidden advertising has significantly grown, for example. This was seen most of all at elections in Kiev, the Kievskaya and Cherkasskaya regions," Koshel said.

Many violations came as the law on elections had been adopted hastily, he stressed.

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Polling stations did not open in Mariupol and Krasnoarmeysk due to problems with ballot papers. Elections commissions later recognized polls in the Luhansk Region’ Lisichansk and Svatovo as invalid. Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada will have to introduce amendments to the law that stipulate holding election in these settlements during the second round.

Ukraine’s Voters Committee said the violations on Sunday were recorded in practically all the regions. The Interior Ministry has received a total of 470 reports linked to the violations.

An investigation into 54 reports of voter bribery is ongoing. Five reports said the voting papers were damaged. Two reports of bomb threat were registered along with two reports of death at the ballot stations.

The Kremlin declined to comment on Monday on the results of local elections in Ukraine.

"I’m yet unprepared to give an assessment," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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Ukraine's local elections

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Elections

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