Election committee head takes observers ‘hostage’ in Orsha

A bizzare development occured during the local elections in Orsha when observers and commission members at the polling station located at the premises t school No 5 were unable to leave the building until 1 a.m., orsha.eu reports.

School No 5 headmistress  Natallya Vaitsyahovich was the head of the election committee. She allowed the observers to sit six metres away from the table where the votes were being counted. The observers were unable to see anything from such a distance and drew two complaints.

Having noticed it, Vaitsyahovich told the present that nobody would be able to leave the room until she replied or the observers withdrew their complaints and apologized to her. As a result, everyone had to stay in the room. 

One of the observers (a candidate’s accredited representative) phoned his election headquarters at 00.20 a.m. and reported the issue. Observers from the other polling stations started to arrive and were recording video footage through the school windows. Vaitsyahovich ordered to close all the passageways leading to the school.

The observers called the police and said that they had been illegally deprived of liberty. They were able to exit the premises only when the police arrived.