MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - The elections in southeastern Ukraine must be held only under Ukrainian law, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in an address released on his official website Sunday.
"Elections of the local authorities in some areas of Donbas must be held exclusively under Ukrainian legislation," the statement read.
"It is the legitimate and fair elections of the local authorities that can be a way for the de-escalation of the conflict and the political settlement of the situation in Donbas," Poroshenko stated.
On Sunday the head of the Central Election Commission of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said the elections of the leader and the parliament of the republic are to be held on November 2.
Eastern Ukraine’s self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s republics broke away from Kiev following independence referendums in May, weeks after the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation, aimed at suppressing local pro-independence forces.
According to UN data, almost 3,700 people have been killed and more than 8,800 have been wounded since the start of the confrontation.
