Elections of heads of republics and MPs begin in Donbass

The elections of heads of republics and members of unicameral parliaments, the People’s Councils, began in Donbass on Sunday.

Some 408 and 316 polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Moscow Time in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic, respectively. They will be closed at 8 p.m. Moscow Time, and then the vote counting will begin.

Five candidates will run for the office of the DPR head. They are Acting DPR leader Denis Pushilin, Former Deputy Education and Science Minister Vladimir Medvedev, renowned lawyer Elena Shishkina, MP from the Free Donbass faction Roman Khramenkov, and famous public figure Roman Yevstifeyev, who heads the museum of the Union of Afghan War Veterans.

Representatives of two public movements, the Donetsk Republic and Free Donbass, will fight for 100 seats in the People’s Council. Now the Donetsk Republic movement, led by Pushilin, has the majority of seats in the parliament (63).

Four self-nominated candidates are running for the LPR head. The main candidate for the post of the LPR leader is Acting Head Leonid Pasechnik. The other candidates are Chairman of the Republican Committee of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers Oleg Koval, Chair of the Perevalsk branch of the Lugansk Economic Union public movement Lyudmila Rusnak and Head of the Republican Trade Union of Railroad Transport Workers Natalya Sergun.

Members of two public movements - Peace for Lugansk Region and Lugansk Economic Union - will run for 50 seats in the People’s Council. Peace for Lugansk, led by Pasechnik, now has the majority of seats.

More than 90 activists from 20 countries will monitor the vote in Donbass on Sunday. Local authorities said that they have created all conditions to ensure a professional, objective and unbiased monitoring and full security.

Personnel of the Interior Ministry, the State Security Ministry and the People’s Militias in Donbass will ensure order during the elections.