Kiev seeks to hold elections in Donetsk and Lugansk regions on April 24

The Supreme Rada of Ukraine has registered a bill on conducting local elections in the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions under control of Ukraine on April 24 2016.

MPs from the Opposition Bloc Volodimir Gusak, Sergey Dunayev, Yuliy Ioffe, Sergey Sazhko, Igor Shurma, Alexey Beliy, and Denis Omelyanovich as well as member of the Revival parliamentary group Igor Skirya have submitted the bill.

“In conformity with point 30, part 1, Article 85 of Ukraine’s Constitution, the Supreme Rada decrees that the next election of the deputies in 80 territories of the Donetsk region and 28 territories in Lugansk region are scheduled for Sunday, April 24, 2016. The elections were not held in the given regions on October 25 2015 by the decision of the Central Election Commission dating August 29 2015,” reads the explanatory note to the bill published on the website of the Ukrainian parliament. 

The bill cancels the provision dating July 2015 on possible elections in the territories of Ukraine not controlled by Kiev only “on the termination of their temporary occupation.” In other words, legally it is possible to organize voting there in the current state of affairs in Donbass.

EADaily reported earlier that local elections were held in Ukraine on October 25 2015. However, on August 29 2015, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine adopted a decision saying it is impossible to hold elections in the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions irrespective of whether they are controlled by Kiev or not. In the first case, elections were impossible as those territories are “temporarily occupied.” In the second case, “Ukraine’s military and civic administration could not ensure a proper level of security.”

The heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) have decreed that the elections in DPR will be held on April 20, those in LPR – on February 21 2016. DPR Head Alexander Zakharchenko said Ukrainian parties may run for the parliament if they “confess” and condemn Kiev’s actions in Donbass.