EU treats democracy as it pleases, as Donbas sanctions show - Pasechnik
Society ● ElectionsLUGANSK, December 11 (Lugansk Media Centre) - The European Union’s sanctions against Donbass Republics representatives have again shown that it treats the notion of democracy as it pleases, Lugansk People’s Republic Head Leonid Pasechnik told the Lugansk Media Centre.
On Monday, the EU imposed sanctions against nine people for organising and holding the elections in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic on November 11. The sanctions target LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik, LPR parliament speaker Denis Miroshnichenko, LPR Central Election Commission chairwoman Yelena Kravchenko, her deputy Maxim Svidchenko and CEC secretary Yekaterina Tereschenko.
“We’ve held the elections in accordance with world standards. Dozens of international observers confirmed this fact,” Pasechnik said underlining that the Republics’ authorities had provided the opportunity to the residents to “use their constitutional right.”
“The European Union considered it unlawful and is trying to intimidate people with sanctions which are absolutely groundless and even ridiculous. It’s a substitution of the notion of democracy which the EU treats at its discretion,” the LPR leader said.
The LPR held its parliamentary and Head of Republic elections on November 11 in accordance with the Constitution and on the strength of the parliament’s September 7 resolution. On September 6, the LPR parliament approved the legislation to amend the Constitution and a number of laws. It extended the four-year term of office of the LPR head and lawmakers to five years starting from the next election. The LPR Head and lawmakers are elected by secret ballot.
The Central Election Commission make the arrangements and monitored the elections. It established 14 territorial election commissions and 316 electoral districts. After verification of the documents and support lists, the CEC registered four candidates for the country’s top post, as well as the parliament candidate lists of the social movements Mir Luganschine and Lugansk Economic Union (LES).
Leonid Pasechnik won the Head of the Republic election gathering 68.3 percent of votes. Mir Luganschine and LES won 74.12 percent and 25.16 percent of votes, respectively. The former has 37 seats in parliament the latter 13 seats.
