Slobodzeya district, November 19 . /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. A citizen filed a complaint in the Slobodzeya court, claiming the violation of his electoral rights. It is due to the fact that one of the candidates for Supreme Council deputy, Sergey Diligul, has concealed certain information on the property he allegedly possesses outside the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
«I want to emphasise that the document confirming Diligul's alleged ownership of some property in Ukraine is an extract from Ukraine's register. It has no seal and signature of the official who has issued it. This extract has not been validated by Pridnestrovie's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, therefore, according to Pridnestrovie's prosecutor and prosecutor's office, cannot be brought before a court," said the special prosecutor's deputy, Alikhanyan Sambat.
For two days the Slobodzeya District Court had been hearing the case on the cancellation of Diligul's registration as a candidate for Supreme Council deputy. Today, 19 November, judgement has been passed to cancel the candidate's registration, rousing the indignation of the public.
Later this day, a rally has gathered in Chiobruchi to protest the court's judgement. Dozens of local residents have come to express their indignation. They say the situation is not new. Five years ago the same candidate had been withdrawn from the campaign by court decision six hours before the elections started. Chiobruchi residents are sure that both then and now it was a deliberate and well-planned action aimed at restricting the electorate's choice.
Russian MPs are also indignant at the candidate's withdrawal. Russia's State Duma deputy Kazbek Taysayev has said in a phone talk that Russia is keeping a close watch on Pridnestrovi'e election campaign. The Russian MP has called today's court decision a mistake and emphasised that Russia will address this situation.
«Of course, we'll do our best to restore him as a candidate. I as the first deputy chair of the CIS committee will report both the Duma and the country's leadership what is going on in Pridnestrovie. We'll find a way to elicit the truth," says Kazbek Taysayev.
Besides, experts are sure that Sergey Diligul has presented a complete package of registration documents and in full compliance with the Election Code. Moreover, the district election commission noted that, even if the candidate provided information on disputed property, the commission would be entitled to declare this information inadequate.
«Even if candidate Diligul provided information on his property outside the PMR, that is, in foreign countries, the commission could not verify this information as all the data presented by candidates are stored in Pridnestrovie's unified public register," said the chair of district election commission 27, Oleg Osipov.
«Today the court has passed judgement to cancel the registration of a candidate for deputy in the Slobodgeya district. In our opinion, the court's decision is groundless and has been made without just cause and evidence for withdrawal. We have already appealed the court's decision today. I expect the court will hear our appeal tomorrow and pass legally grounded judgement," underscored Pridnestrovie's prosecutor, Alexander Deli.
