Donetsk Envoy Says Local Elections 'Reasoned', Comply With Minsk Agreements

Holding local elections in the eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is well-reasoned, being at the same time the implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukrainian reconciliation, the DPR negotiator at the Minsk peace talks said Sunday.

DONETSK (Sputnik) — Ukrainians are expected to go to the polls to elect governors and legislators on October 25. The breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics said they would hold separate local elections on October 18 and November 1, respectively.

"For us the stance on holding the elections is absolutely reasoned. For us, it is the implementation of the Minsk deal unilaterally," Denis Pushilin told reporters.

The Donetsk and Lugansk authorities have repeatedly stated that the decision to hold elections independently from Kiev was made after the Ukrainian government proceeded to adopt a law on local election without consulting with the breakaway regions, which contradicts the Minsk peace deal.

The February 12 Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements obliged the Ukrainian authorities to conduct a direct dialogue with the representatives of the DPR and the LPR, in particular, on the issue of local elections in the region.

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the forthcoming local elections in eastern Ukraine did not mean the end of political dialogue with Kiev.