Last-minute changes to the composition of quite a few section election commissions, including no-show chairpersons – such irregularities were reported by Nadezhda Gologanova, deputy chairperson of the Civic Initiative for Free and Democratic Elections and coordinator of the 400 observers throughout the country, in an interview for the BNR.

She added that in places the members of the commissions will work with fewer members. “The new commission members who joined at the last minute have not undergone training,” she said and added that in comparison with previous years it has been more difficult to recruit observers and many people with experience have refused.

Nadezhda Gologanova also reported problems with the voting machines. In some places the section election commissions have not been able to switch them on, in other instances there were temporary power outages, or machine breakdowns or blockage.