Fifteen hundred came in Lermontov to support hunger-strikers

On February 26, an action in support of the hunger-striking candidates for Deputies of the Lermontov City Council was held in the form of a meeting of citizens with Ilya Drozdov, the former coordinator of the Stavropol Regional Branch of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), now a Deputy of the Russian State Duma.

"In no way we are oppositionists; we are law-abiding; and we have only one demand - to cancel the illegally appointed elections to the City Council of Lermontov. We went on hunger strike, because the top authorities and law enforcement bodies wouldn't see the lawlessness committed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Lermontov and the Territorial Election Commission," Alexander Dunaev said at the meeting with the Russian MP.

As reported by a source from the press service of the Stavropol Regional Branch of the LDPR, about 1500 citizens gathered in Lenin Square of Lermontov.

The meeting lasted for about 15 minutes; cries were heard from the crowd: "We are against joining Pyatigorsk" and "We don't want Pyatigorsk!" (Reference is made to the plans to incorporate Lermontov into Pyatigorsk.)

According to the above source from the press service of the LDPR, "the townspeople were outraged at the political lawlessness committed in Lermontov." Ilya Drozdov has assured that he supported the demands of citizens and hunger-strikers and promises to do everything possible so that they are heard in all instances, including the president of Russia. Mr Drozdov has demanded - on behalf of his party - to cancel the elections to the City Council of Lermontov.

After the meeting, the participants signed a collective appeal to the country's leadership with a demand to cancel the elections to the City Council scheduled on March 4.