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Rebels in E. Ukraine postpone disputed local elections

Xinhua, October 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Leaders of independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine announced Wednesday that they are postponing disputed local elections planned for the next week.

The press service of Igor Plotnytsky, the leader of Lugansk insurgents, published a decree saying that the elections in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic were delayed until further notice.

Alexander Zakharchenko, the rebel leader in Donetsk region, has also suspended elections, according to his press service.

Neither has given any reason for the postponement of the polls which were initially slated for Nov. 6 and rejected by the Ukrainian government as illegitimate.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday that Kiev stands ready to hold local elections in the two restive regions under Ukrainian law if insurgents implement certain conditions prescribed in the Minsk agreement.

Main preconditions include a comprehensive truce, withdrawal of weapons from the front line, release of hostages and full access of international monitors to the conflict area, Poroshenko said.

Holding local elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and under international observation is a requirement set by the government for Lugansk and Donetsk to acquire the "special status" under the Minsk cease-fire agreement designed to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 9,600 people since April 2014. Endi