Separatists Claim Victory in Eastern Ukraine Referendum

At noon on Sunday, four hours after the opening of polling stations, participation in the independence referendum in Lugansk and Donetsk (eastern Ukraine) far exceeded the forecasts of the leading “separatist ” who have called challenging authority Kiev. In Donetsk province had voted 50% of the census, while in Lugansk turnout rose to 80 %, according to data provided by the separatists. ” The turnout for schools exceeds all our expectations. We are very pleased by the response of the people “, said Roman Liaguin, head of the electoral commission.

The referendum was declared illegal by the authorities of Kiev, is developed without the participation of international observers. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the rebels to postpone the convening authority, but the leaders of the Republic of Donetsk disregarded his call.

“Do you approve of the independence of the Republic of Donetsk / Lugansk? “. With this question, and only two choices, yes or no, the pro-Russian leaders for a month cast a pulse to the Government of Kiev with the occupation of government buildings and acts of armed resistance have called Sunday about three million voters in the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk (eastern Ukraine), in which about 7 million people of the 45 that the country live.

In Donetsk the highest peak of participation was recorded in the town of Ugledar, with 52%, while in Mariupol Slaviansk and was significantly below average, with 21%, in the first case by the military offensive against Army pro-Russian, and the second by problems in the arrangement of the tables, which caused long lines of voters, as explained by Kirill Rudenko, press officer for the self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk.

Pushilin Denis, one of the co-chairs of the rebel organization, told El Pais that the day is developing normally. “Everything is going well. We expected a lot of people, but the real influx has exceeded our expectations. The provocations of the Board of Kiev [ the interim government of Ukraine ] are not being too serious and our people around polling stations has not been forced to shoot, ” said Pushilin addressed to the Provincial Administration building in Donetsk. The hype around the rebel headquarters of armed men, many of them with a grenade launcher, was massive.

In two of the eight polling stations in Zugrés enabled (30,000, north of the city of Donetsk) was recorded at noon high voter turnout of all the ages. The number of ballots cast at the polls was high, although no data on participation, informs Pilar Bonet.

Meanwhile, the number 5 and 22 colleges of Donetsk most of the votes showed the box marked yes; only a few ballots were negative. At school number 2 installed in a tent at the occupied building of the Provincial Administration, the option you chose was unanimous: yes to independence.

After a day of reflection in which no serious incidents were reported, but intense fighting around Slaviansk, the polls opened at eight in the morning (one hour earlier in the Peninsula) and close at ten o’clock at night, give time to those who are not registered to join ‘in situ’, stated the head of the electoral commission of the self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk. Only in the most troubled by being objective army offensive as Slaviansk, where there has been minor skirmishes this morning, or Kramatorsk, schools closed points four hours before.

In the elections, held on the census of 2012, there facilities for new voter registration immediately upon presentation of passport or ID – work more than 10,000 people, mostly volunteers, explained this Saturday Liaguin. Citizens may vote at 53 locations in about 2,000 polling enabled in unusual places, such as schools or hospitals, under the supervision and protection of volunteers. The planned collaboration with pro-Russian local police finally did not happen. ” We count on your presence to maintain order,” had anticipated Liaguin Saturday, former member of the Party of Regions (pro-Russian) of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

It is expected that the first results are known early Monday afternoon; late on Sunday night only the final percentage of participation will be provided. After an initial count ‘in situ’, scrutiny will be centralized in the Occupied Provincial Administration building of Donetsk, which involves the transfer by road of all ballot boxes installed outside the provincial capital without other than the organizers. In Lugansk will handle the entire process (monitoring and protection of schools, counting and announcement of results) group called the Army of the Southeast.

Anecdotally, and given the lack of estimates on the cost- of – funding and consultation, printing of three million ballots has cost the Republic of Donetsk just over 1,200 euros, 500 of them in the toner three printers worn for several days have been running the piece; that is the only eligible expenditure by the rebel authorities. Large signs on behalf of themselves were yesterday conspicuous in advertising marquees located in the main streets of Donetsk.

The result of the vote, which everyone expects favorable to the organizers, opens many unknowns in the immediate future of Ukraine. ” The best solution, I speak as a citizen and not as head of the electoral commission, that Donetsk would become part of the Russian Federation, would calm things a lot,” said Liaguin. ‘ Voice of the People ‘, the official organ of the Republic of Donetsk, says another possible scenario: ” After the referendum, we will participate in the international arena as an independent state in its own right. Other regions will follow our lead, as Kharkov, Zaporija, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Odessa and then we’ll regroup all in a powerful federation Novorusia, which will become part of the great Russian world. “

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Posted by Jamshed Sindhu on May 12 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.