You're reading: Ukraine’s Radical Party leader calls on Ukrainian government to hold referendum on Donbas status in October

Leader of the Radical Party and its parliamentary faction Oleh Liashko has called on Ukraine's administration on Sept. 1 to hold a referendum on the status of Donbas in October, along with local elections.

After the parliamentary meeting was closed, he demanded that the government “hold this nationwide poll [on the status of Donbas] together with local elections this October.”

Liashko also demanded that the country’s administration find the people behind the Aug. 31 riots outside the Verkhovna Rada, during which National Guard soldiers were killed.

It was reported that on Aug. 31, the group representing the Radical Party in the Ukrainian parliament stood against making alterations to the Ukrainian Constitution in terms of decentralization of government in the country.

On Sept. 1, Liashko announced that the Radical Party would secede from the parliamentary coalition and join the opposition ranks.