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Russia presidential human rights council does not doubt Donetsk, Luhansk poll results

“There are no reasons to question the will expression of residents in Luhansk and Donetsk republics,” member of the presidential human rights council Igor Borisov said

MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Members of the Russian Presidential Council of Human Rights and Civil Society do not question the results of the November 2 elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

“There are no reasons to question the will expression of residents in Luhansk and Donetsk republics which local Central Elections Commissions found valid officially,” member of the presidential human rights council Igor Borisov who conducted distance monitoring of these elections told a news conference in Moscow on Thursday.

Petitions for falsifications, injections of false ballot papers were not reported, he said. “We do not find cases of pressure on candidates and beating of candidates,” he added, saying with confidence that “this information would have leaked in the Ukrainian media.” “Facts of bribing people so that local residents will vote for a piece of bread here, though Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics are suffering from famine, we do not find such cases that a vote was bought for foodstuffs and, moreover, for money,” he added.

For his part, member of the presidential council Alexander Brod who visited Donetsk on November 2 noted that elections passed “openly and lawfully.” He also named Ukrainian media reports insulting as the latter accused international observers of ties with far-right extremists. Among shortcomings of these elections, Brod noted insufficient number of polling stations that made people queuing for voting and the lack of protective marks of ballot papers, as they were protected only by a stamp. “There were also some questions over the transparency of Internet voting procedures which 45,000 used,” the human rights activist added.

Maxim Grigoryev, member of the Russian Civic Chamber, an advisory body of Russian prominent personalities, who was also staying in the city of Donetsk during election, estimated the voter turnout at election as “enormous amid military actions.” Meanwhile, he noted that several schools where polling stations were planned to place were destroyed by Ukrainian troops in hostilities.

Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander Zakharchenko and movement Donetsk Republic which he led have won at the election of the head and deputies of the Donetsk republican People’s Assembly at the November 2 polls. Along with Zakharchenko, the first trio of Donetsk Republic election list included Donetsk republican First Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the movement presidium Andrey Purgin and former chairman of the Donetsk republican Supreme Council presidium Denis Pushilin.

Incumbent leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic Igor Plotnitsky and public movement Peace to Luhansk Land the election list of which he heads have won at elections in the self-proclaimed republic.