You're reading: Donetsk, Luhansk decide to put off elections in Donbas for 2016

Administrations of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) revealed their decision to postpone the local elections for the next year, while demanding Kyiv to implement the entire Package of Measures set forth by the Minsk agreements on Feb. 12.

“We are satisfied to note that the LPR’s proposal to put off the election in Donbas for Feb. 21, 2016, provided that Kyiv has implemented in full all its obligations set forth in the “Minsk-2″, has been approved by the Normandy Quartet,” LPR said in a statement published on the Luhansk information center’s website.

“We have studied statements and recommendations made by Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Hollande following the Paris Summit (of the Normandy Four) held on Oct. 2. Here in Minsk, we have held our consultations today with delegates from OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and Russia. We have received certain instructions from our leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky,” the statement says.

“Following the work completed, we are to notify about the agreement of DPR and LPR to postpone the elections from Oct. 18 and Nov. 1 respectively for the next year,” it says.

However, DPR and LPR said: “In the meantime, Ukraine will be obliged to fulfill all its obligations as specified in the Minsk agreements, and namely: granting a special status to Donbas, preventing persecution and punishment of participants in the events in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as holding repeatedly the vote for the amendments to Constitution in a new version that is agreed with us”.