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Luhansk republic’s leader signs decree on holding local polls on November 1

The polls are the first stage to be followed by elections of deputies to the councils of various levels, and also the heads of villages and so on, the self-proclaimed LPR's head says

© TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

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MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. The head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Igor Plotnitsky, has signed a decree on holding elections of heads of 14 city and district administrations on November 1, 2015.

The polls are the first stage "to be followed by elections of deputies to the councils of various levels, and also the heads of villages and so on," Plotnitsky said in a statement published on the website of the LuhanskInformCenter.

Plotnitsky said the need to carry out elections in several stages comes as the LPR "has many problems that demand immediate financing," while the authorities can allocate funds "only for elections of heads of territories."

"We will hold the other stages of local elections later when there are all the necessary conditions for this, both the political and financial ones," the LPR leader stressed.

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The key priority for the self-proclaimed republic now is to ensure social protection of citizens and launch industrial enterprises as well as to restore infrastructure, he said.

The elections of heads of territorial units on November 1 will be held in Luhansk, Stakhanov, Krasny Luch, Alchevsk, Kirovsk, Rovenki, Pervomaysk and Bryanka and in six other districts, according to Plotnitsky.

The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have earlier said that Kiev fails to comply with the package of measures on implementing the February 12 Minsk peace agreements.

In this context, the heads of the republics said they plan meet these demands on their own and later announced that the local elections will be held. The polls in the Donetsk republic will take place on October 18.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stressed that these elections will have "destructive consequences for the de-escalation process in Donbas." Ukraine’s local elections are scheduled for October 25.

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Ukraine crisis Eastern Ukraine Elections

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