The largest number of violations reported in Ternopil oblast occurred at the DEC #167, in the city of Chortkiv. Members of election commissions were committing violations right in front of observers' cameras.
Observers of the Civil Network OPORA reported and recorded all violations committed by members of the PECs and DECs. Short-term observer of the OPORA Pytal Pavlo reported that sacks with ballots were brought from the PEC.
Thus, OPORA's long-term observer Vasyl Tomchyshyn decided to learn more about these ballots.
Coordinator for Observation Campaign at Civil Network OPORA in city of Chortkiv (DEC #167) Hulka Mykola informs:
"The DEC #167 violates the Article 94(5) of the Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine. Members of the DEC refuse to check the contents of packages, completeness of the election documents and integrity of all packages containing election documents, what is against of the effective legislation."
In the hall of the DEC, observers see members of PEC, who are filling in protocols. Short-term observer asked a commission member:
" - Are you filling in?
- Yes.
- Do you have a stamp?
- Yes, we have."
As soon as PEC members saw that they were being recorded, they hid documents.
Falsification of electoral documents is a criminal offense and, according to the Article 158(2) of the CrCU, shall be punished by deprivation of liberty for three to seven years with no right to hold the certain positions or be involved into the certain activities from one to three years.
Besides that, the short-term witnessed an interesting fact: protocols were exchanged through a window of a restroom in the DEC. As it turned out later, Head of the PEC was signing copies of protocols for observers from her polling station.
"Head of the PEC was not supposed to have a stamp with her. The stamp should remain in the safe of the PEC, according to the Article 93(4). It's a violation to take it out from the PEC. Giving copies of protocols is not against the law, because she was supposed to do it at the PEC," - Jurist at the Civil Network OPORA Valerii Korniiko.