All news

Donbass republics readying for referendums to join Russia, says LPR envoy

Rodion Miroshnik pointed out that preparations to establish a procedure for the referendum would be focused on the need to provide the people with an opportunity to express their will in a transparent atmosphere

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The Donbass republics have launched preparations for referendums to join Russia, the Lugansk People’s Republic’s (LPR) Ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"The heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics made an agreement on coordinating and synchronizing efforts to prepare for a referendum, which means that the process has in fact been launched, it’s now being formalized as work is underway to figure out all the mechanisms that need to be used to organize the vote," he noted.

Miroshnik pointed out that preparations to establish a procedure for the referendum would be focused on the need to provide the people with an opportunity to express their will in a transparent atmosphere. He added that experts with vast experience in organizing such plebiscites would be involved in the preparations. "There are various mechanisms to hold referendums in various parts of the world that depend on their situation so it’s about the way we will shape the procedure," the envoy said.

On Monday, the Civic Chamber of the Lugansk People’s Republic called on LPR leader Leonid Pasechnik to immediately hold a referendum on recognizing the republic as a Russian constituent entity. The chamber emphasized that the move would guarantee the LPR’s security and create new opportunities for its reconstruction. The DPR Civic Chamber later made the same request to Denis Pushilin and the DPR People’s Council. Pushilin suggested in a phone call with Pasechnik later that the two republics’ authorities should synchronize their efforts to prepare for the referendums.