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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Poroshenko’s statement about constitutional amendments are senseless — DPR lawmaker

Purgin reminded that under the Package of Measures to implement the Minsk agreement adopted on February 12 all constitutional amendments were to be agreed with the DPR and LPR

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko’s statements about amendments to the Ukrainian constitution have no sense, since they have not been agreed with representatives of the self-proclaimed republics as provided in the Minsk agreements, Andrei Purgin, the speaker of People’s Assembly [parliament] of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic [DPR], said on Sunday.

"Everything Poroshenko is saying, all the amendments they plan to introduce in Kiev, everything is absolutely senseless and manipulative," the Donetsk News Agency quoted him as saying.

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Purgin reminded that under the Package of Measures to implement the Minsk agreement adopted on February 12 all constitutional amendments were to be agreed with the DPR and LPR [Luhansk People’s Republic]. "Nothing is being agreed with us. The constitutional commission is working by itself, with no our representatives. We have no idea of what they are amending there," he said.

On Friday, the constitutional commission approved a framework text of decentralization-related amendments to the constitution. Poroshenko said that "Donbass representatives have taken part in drafting these constitutional changes." Following his statements, the authorities in the Donetsk and Luhansk republics said that the DPR and LPR had delegated nobody to take part in the work of the constitutional commission.

A constitutional reform is an important part of the February 12 comprehensive action plan to fulfil the Minsk accords worked out by leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France in the search for peace in the embattled eastern Donbass region.

A key element of reform is decentralisation of government with respect to the peculiarities of certain parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions agreed with their representatives, as well as adopting permanent legislation on the special status of certain Donbass areas.

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