LUGANSK, May 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Luhansk People’s Republic, whose residents supported the act on state sovereignty at the May 11 referendum, has declared its independence from Ukraine.

‘Popular governor’ Valery Bolotov stated this at a rally on Monday.

“We have chosen our path of independence from arbitrariness and bloody dictate of the Kiev clique, fascism and nationalism, the path of freedom, the path of rule of law,” Bolotov said. “From the moment of declaring its independence, a new life free from dictate of Kiev authorities will start for the Luhansk People’s Republic,” he added.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Luhansk City Council has demanded that the authorities in Kiev should ensure the process of federalization in the country.

“We demand that the current authorities follow the voice of the people and immediately make constitutional changes which should enable the federalization process,” the council’s presidium members said in a statement on Monday. “Otherwise, responsibility for breaking up the country will fall on the central authorities.”

Council deputies urged the Kiev authorities to grant Russian the official status of a second state language and to stop “the fratricidal war” in Ukraine’s eastern regions.

A total of 96.2% voted for self-rule in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, where the results of the Sunday referendum were announced on Monday.