You're reading: Donetsk mayor suggests combining local referendum, presidential elections

A law on local referendums needs to be adopted to hold a referendum in the Donetsk region and foreign monitors should be elected and the referendum should be held simultaneously with the first round of the Ukrainian presidential elections to ensure its legitimacy, Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukianchenko said.

“A referendum would be expedient if it was monitored and fully
legitimate because very many representatives of the world community want
to monitor the Ukrainian elections. It’s the only way towards
legitimacy and recognition of the outcome of the referendum, if it is
conducted simultaneously with the first round of the presidential
elections. That will help minimize the costs,” Lukianchenko told a press
conference in Donetsk on April 23.

A total of 560,000 ballots will be needed for the referendum, he said.

Early presidential elections in Ukraine are scheduled for May 25.
Supporters of the federalization of Ukraine in the southeastern regions
want to hold their own referendum before May 11.