KIEV, March 17. /TASS/. The Parliament of Ukraine passed on Tuesday a draft law stipulating areas in the country’s south-eastern region of Donbas, which will be enjoying a temporary special status of self-governance.

With the necessary 226 votes to pass the bill a total of 296 lawmakers from Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of the document.

However Verkhovna Rada postponed the entry of this law into force until elections are held in Donbas.

Ukraine's parliament declared the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics "temporarily occupied territories".

A total of 280 Ukrainian lawmakers voted for this decision.