MINSK, August 9. /TASS/. The voter turnout at Sunday’s presidential polls in Belarus reached 79% as of 18:00 local time, chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Lydia Yermoshina said.
"The voting day is coming to a close. By 18:00, as many as 79% of voters took part in the polls. Naturally, it is a big figure for 18:00. The turnout has surpassed 80% in many regions - as a matter of fact, in all regions but for the city of Minsk and the Minsk region," she told the Belarus 1 television channel.
According to Yermoshina, a number of polling stations report shortages of ballot papers. "No one expected such a high voter turnout. Now we are transferring ballot papers from one polling stations to others," she said, adding shortages stem from deliberate wastage of ballot papers. "If it continues to be done, I would like to warn that the CEC cannot provide more than one ballot paper in replacement of the one spoiled," she said. "Such tactic of sabotage won’t do."
On Sunday, Belarus is holding its sixth presidential election since declaring independence in 1991. The incumbent head of state, Alexander Lukashenko, 65, is seeking his sixth term in office. Other candidates are co-leader of the Govori Pravdu (Tell the Truth) public movement Andrei Dmitriyev, former member of the lower parliament house Anna Kanopatskaya, housewife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, and leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Gramada Sergei Cherchen.