2014 Donbas general elections

The 2014 Donbas general elections were held on 2 November 2014 by the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which were at that time both members of the now defunct Novorossiya confederation.[1]

As a result of a war that started in April of the same year, these internationally unrecognized entities controlled parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in eastern Ukraine, together called the Donbas region. The elections, the first of their kind since the establishment of either republic, were held to choose their chief executives and parliaments. In the Donetsk People's Republic, incumbent leader Alexander Zakharchenko won the post of chief executive, and his Donetsk Republic party gained a majority in parliament. In the Luhansk People's Republic, incumbent leader Igor Plotnitsky won the post of chief executive, and his Peace for Luhansk Region party gained a majority in parliament.

Neither the European Union nor the United States recognized the elections, which violate the terms of the Minsk Protocol, according to which local elections in the areas occupied by the DPR and LPR were supposed to be held on 7 December, in accordance with Ukrainian law.[2][3][4] Russia, on the other hand, indicated that it would recognize the results as legitimate, although Ukraine had urged Russia to use its influence to stop the elections and "to avoid a frozen conflict".[5] Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that the election was an important step needed "to legitimize the [DPR and LPR] authorities".[6] Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov later qualified that the Russian Federation's position of respecting the results of the election does not necessarily mean an official recognition of the results.[7]

In Ukraine as a whole, following the February 2014 revolution, a presidential election had been held on 25 May, and parliamentary elections on 26 October. DPR and LPR authorities blocked these elections in the areas that they control.[5][6] Those authorities had previously held largely unrecognized referendums on 11 May to approve the establishment of the two Republics.

  1. ^ Date of elections in Donetsk, Luhansk People's republics the same - Nov. 2, Russian News Agency "TASS" (11 October 2014)
  2. ^ "Russia Backs Plan by Ukraine Separatists for an Early Election". The New York Times. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  3. ^ "EU not to recognize elections organized by DPR and LPR". Interfax-Ukraine. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  4. ^ "PACE president condemns decision to hold 'elections' in DPR, LPR – statement". Interfax-Ukraine. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Ukraine urges Russia to stop separatist elections". USA Today. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  6. ^ a b Ukraine crisis: Russia to recognise rebel vote in Donetsk and Luhansk, BBC News (28 October 2014)
  7. ^ "Russia Respects, But Does Not Necessarily Recognize Donetsk, Luhansk Elections: Kremlin". RIA Novosti. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014.