Luhansk - The commander of the so-called "Southeastern Army," Valeriy Bolotov, has been elected "people's governor" of Luhansk.
“The governor was elected at a closed-door ‘people’s assembly’ in the captured building of the Luhansk security service,” an Interfax correspondent reported. The “people’s assembly” was attended by delegates of regional populated areas.
Journalists were not allowed to attend. Bolotov himself announced the news of his election as “people’s governor.”
The delegates discussed preparations for a referendum.
Bolotov later said at a press conference at the security service headquarters that all law enforcement services would be placed under “people’s” control and that a “people’s army” will be formed.
“The law enforcement services – courts, police etc – will be placed under people’s control in a legal and democratic procedure,” Bolotov said.
“People have vested the high powers of acting people’s governor in me. I will work to live up to their trust. The first step to be taken is to form a team of professionals and to set the region in a working mood,” he said.
The “people’s governor” also said that a “regional people’s council” will be set up, comprised of representatives of all cities of the Luhansk region.
Bolotov announced that he had formed a ‘single coordinating center of the southeastern regions” with all of Ukraine’s southeastern regions represented. “All of them will move in the same direction,” he said.
The “people’s council” meeting is continuing behind closed doors, an Interfax correspondent reported. The agenda includes the federalization of the Luhansk region. But it is not known yet how this plan will be implemented.
The Luhansk prosecutor’s office circulated the regional prosecutor Serhiy Stos’ statement on Monday, urging local residents not to violate the law.
Stos said that no applications had been filed for holding Monday’s rallies in violation of the law.
