Yanukovych orders to take measures to prevent violations by changing place of voting

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has ordered the heads of regional and district administrations, as well as Crimean Prime Minister Anatoliy Mohyliov, to take necessary measures to prevent violations of the law in which Ukrainians vote in polling stations other than those designated for their place of residence.

This is stated in the president's decree signed on September 20 and presented by presidential adviser and envoy in the Constitutional Court Olena Lukash at a press conference on Friday.

The president ordered the heads of regional and district administrations to take comprehensive measures to prevent tempering with and distorting the will of voters in single-member constituencies at the parliamentary elections in Ukraine through abuses and the violation of the laws of Ukraine on the State Registry of Voters, and the law on parliamentary elections, while using the right to temporarily change their voting place.

The document stressed that such violations could be liable to criminal prosecution.

In addition, the president ordered the regional branches of the State Voters Registry to monitor the implementation of decisions of the Central Election Commission allowing temporary changes to the voting place without changing the electoral address.

The document also warns the heads of regional state administrations about their personal responsibility for compliance with the president's instruction.