ADDRESS
Address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the partner states (democratic countries of the world) and international organizations on the intentions to hold unlawful elections in some regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as the only legislative authority in Ukraine stands for holding free, democratic and transparent local authorities elections in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in compliance with the Ukrainian legislation and in line with Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards. Inclusion of this particular provision in the Complex of measures on implementation of the Minsk agreements became one of the key preconditions of the peaceful settlement in Donbas.
In this regard, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is indignant of the information about the provocative intentions of the Kremlin’s puppets to hold pseudo-elections in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine on October 18 and November 1, 2015. Such election farce does not correspond either to Ukrainian legislation or recognized OSCE standards and is a conscious step, aimed at wrecking the peaceful process.
We remind that similar decision with further holding pseudo-elections in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on November 2, 2014 gave a serious blow to the peaceful settlement process and ended up in escalation of the conflict in Donbas.
Fair and democratic elections of the local authorities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are impossible under the barrels of guns. Free expression of the will of those Ukrainian citizens who reside today on the temporarily occupied territories, is possible only under several conditions, such as holding elections in a safe environment, without any foreign interference, in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation as well as with the OSCE standards and must be respectively monitored by OSCE / ODIHR.
Russia and fighters also do not demonstrate any progress in the context of fulfillment of other provisions of the peaceful settlement, in particular on the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact line, providing verification of the mentioned process and monitoring of the territory of specific regions of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts of Ukraine and the part of the state border which is uncontrolled by the Government of Ukraine, by the special monitoring mission of the OSCE, exchange hostages and restoring Ukraine’s control over the area of the common border with the Russian Federation. Nor is solved the issue of releasing political prisoners, imprisoned for political reasons, including N.Savchenko, O.Sentsov, A. Kolchenko, M. Karpyuk, S. Klyh A. Chyhoyz, A.Asanov, M.Dehermendzhy, R.Zeytullayev, N. Primov, R. Vaitov, F.Sayfullayev and others.
Taking into consideration unquestionable and absolute influence the Russian Federation has over Russia-controlled fighters, the absence of the constructive measures of Moscow proves the conscious neglect by the Kremlins of its commitments. There is an impression that Moscow consciously marginalizes specific regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, turns them into a black hole of irresponsibility and chaos, inciting to hold pseudo-elections.
Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations within the framework of the peaceful settlement. Successful peaceful settlement depends entirely of the capability, willingness and readiness of the official Moscow to implement effectively its part of the obligations.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine strongly support the international efforts, especially of the European Union, OSCE, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan and other democratic nations of the world, aimed at settlement of the outcomes of the Russian aggression at the East of Ukraine, as well as the outcomes of the UN General Assembly, and urges to pay particular attention to provocative actions of Russia and Russia-backed fighters.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine demands restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine again calls upon the Security Council of the United Nations Organization and the Council of European Union to speed up the consideration of the address of the Ukrainian parliament on behalf of Ukraine of March 17, 2015 on the deployment on Ukraine’s territory of the international peacekeeping and security operation.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers the possible pseudo-elections in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as a “red line” that Russia has no right to cross. In this regard, the Ukrainian Parliament calls upon the international community to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to avoid the failure of the Minsk agreements.