QURGHON TEPPA, March 1, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Candidate for the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Sayvali Nourov has reportedly beaten the head of the precinct election commission (PEC) for polling station #20 in Khatlon’s Vakhsh district, Ghoib Khojanazarov.

Mr. Khojanazarov told Asia-Plus that Sayvali Nourov came to the polling station yesterday morning.  “When Nourov saw that one old elderly has two ballot papers with him (his wife is ill, and therefore, she could not come to the polling station), he took the ballot papers from the voter and threw them away and then he lashed out and hit me in the face,” the PEC head said, noting that the incident took place in the presence of the PEC members and some 70-80 voters.

“After the incident, the district prosecutor as well as chiefs of local police and security departments came to the polling station and I wrote an official complaint against Nourov and all witnesses gave written evidences,” Khojanazarov said.  

In the meantime, Mr. Sayvali Nourov denied that.  “I revealed violation of the law and our observers drew up an appropriate report on this subject, the head and members of the precinct commission, however, did not sign it,” Nourov noted.

We will recall that four candidates competed for a seat in parliament in the Vakhsh constituency.  All of them are members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDPT).