Jump to content

2014 Donbas status referendums: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Counter referendum: Original text had punctuation: Дебальцево, Енакиево, Ясиноватой, Авдеевке, Волновахе, Новоазовске, Мариуполе
Line 42: Line 42:
Officials from the Donetsk regional administration said that the separatists would require at least 85 million US dollars to fund the referendum, and that it would cost at least 8 million for [[Donetsk]] city alone.<ref name="dca">{{cite web | url=http://donetsk.comments.ua/news/2014/04/23/134903.html | title=Донецкие сепаратисты ищут 85 млн грн на областной референдум | work=Donetsk.comments.ua | date=23 April 2014 | accessdate=10 May 2014 | language=Russian}}</ref> According to authorities from the Republic, however, the budget of the referendum is minimal, mostly being composed of donations from private citizens and businesses. Ballots, for example, costed only 9,000 dollars to produce.<ref name=VoR />
Officials from the Donetsk regional administration said that the separatists would require at least 85 million US dollars to fund the referendum, and that it would cost at least 8 million for [[Donetsk]] city alone.<ref name="dca">{{cite web | url=http://donetsk.comments.ua/news/2014/04/23/134903.html | title=Донецкие сепаратисты ищут 85 млн грн на областной референдум | work=Donetsk.comments.ua | date=23 April 2014 | accessdate=10 May 2014 | language=Russian}}</ref> According to authorities from the Republic, however, the budget of the referendum is minimal, mostly being composed of donations from private citizens and businesses. Ballots, for example, costed only 9,000 dollars to produce.<ref name=VoR />


By 10 May, only fifty-three local election committees and 1,527 polling stations had been established.<ref name="BBCupo">{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/politics/2014/05/140510_donbas_referendum_or.shtml | title=Президентських виборів на Донбасі не буде - представник ДНР | work=BBC Ukrainian Service | date=10 May 2014 | accessdate=10 May 2014 | language=Ukrainian}}</ref> The Donetsk regional education [[Superintendent (education)|superintendent]] informed reporters that they were forced under threat of death to organize polling stations in the schools.<ref name=nd11>{{cite news|title=В Донецкой области проходит 4 опроса одновременно, каждый из них называется "референдум"|url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/224701/|newspaper=News of Donbass|date=11 May 2014}}</ref>
By 10 May, fifty-three local election committees and 1,527 polling stations had been established.<ref name="BBCupo">{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian/politics/2014/05/140510_donbas_referendum_or.shtml | title=Президентських виборів на Донбасі не буде - представник ДНР | work=BBC Ukrainian Service | date=10 May 2014 | accessdate=10 May 2014 | language=Ukrainian}}</ref> The Donetsk regional education [[Superintendent (education)|superintendent]] informed reporters that they were forced under threat of death to organize polling stations in the schools.<ref name=nd11>{{cite news|title=В Донецкой области проходит 4 опроса одновременно, каждый из них называется "референдум"|url=http://novosti.dn.ua/details/224701/|newspaper=News of Donbass|date=11 May 2014}}</ref>

===Polling day===
===Polling day===
The referendum began early on 10 May in Mariupol, which according to the separatist group's election official Sergey Beshulya was due to the possibility of Ukrainian security forces returning.<ref>http://obozrevatel.com/politics/29350-dnr-dosrochnoe-golosovanie-o-statuse-donbassa-prohodit-v-mariupole.htm</ref> Other locations also reported early voting in some areas.<ref name=kpref /> For the remainder of the province, polling began at 8am on 11 May. Donetsk and Luhansk residents living in Russia were able to cast their votes in [[Moscow]].<ref name=kp11>{{cite news|title=Separatists start their referendum in Donbas|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/separatists-start-their-referendum-in-donbas-347247.html|newspaper=Kyiv Post|date=11 May 2014}}</ref> According to ukrainian news sources, most residents did not intend to vote while others did not know where polling stations were located.<ref name=kp11 />
The referendum began early on 10 May in Mariupol, which according to the separatist group's election official Sergey Beshulya was due to the possibility of Ukrainian security forces returning.<ref>http://obozrevatel.com/politics/29350-dnr-dosrochnoe-golosovanie-o-statuse-donbassa-prohodit-v-mariupole.htm</ref> Other locations also reported early voting in some areas.<ref name=kpref /> For the remainder of the province, polling began at 8am on 11 May. Donetsk and Luhansk residents living in Russia were able to cast their votes in [[Moscow]].<ref name=kp11>{{cite news|title=Separatists start their referendum in Donbas|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/separatists-start-their-referendum-in-donbas-347247.html|newspaper=Kyiv Post|date=11 May 2014}}</ref> According to ukrainian news sources, most residents did not intend to vote while others did not know where polling stations were located.<ref name=kp11 />

Revision as of 11:49, 11 May 2014

Donetsk status referendum
10–11 May 2014 (2014-05-11)
"Do you support the declaration of state independence of the Donetsk People's Republic?"

A referendum on the status of Donetsk Oblast, a part of Ukraine, began on 10 May 2014 in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.[1] The referendum is meant to ask whether the people of Donetsk approve of the establishment of the Republic, in the context of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[1] The Yatsenyuk Government of Ukraine and western governments have said that referendum will have "no democratic legitimacy".[2][3]

Background

Main article: 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
Decree on holding the referendum.

The referendum is modelled on a similar disputed referendum held in Crimea during the Crimean crisis. That vote ultimately resulted in the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

The Ukrainian transitional president Olexander Turchynov said that this proclamation, along with protests in other eastern cities, was evidence of a "second stage" of Russian operations "playing out the Crimean scenario".[4] After the proclamation, the self-proclaimed authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic announced that they would carry out a referendum on 11 May to determine the future status of the region, and legitimise the establishment of the Republic.[5][6] Many government buildings in towns and cities across Donetsk Oblast became occupied by separatist insurgents as the Republic expanded its territorial control.[7] As a result, the Ukrainian government launched a counter-offensive against insurgents in these areas.[7]

An agreement made in Geneva between the United States, European Union, Russia, and Ukraine was intended to demilitarise and de-escalate the conflict, but the leaders of the Republic rejected it.[8] They claimed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not represent them, and that an agreement made by uninvolved parties was not binding on their behaviour.[8] Instead, they said that they would only end their occupation of government buildings after the referendum.[8]

Opinion polls

According to a poll conducted by the Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis, 4.7% of those polled in Donetsk supported independence.[9]

Another poll was released by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology, with data gathered from 8–16 April. 27.5% of those people polled in Donetsk were in favour of secession from Ukraine to join the Russian Federation.[10]

The referendum

Organisation

File:Donetsk status referendum ballot.jpg
Ballot sample.

A central election committee has been set up to organise the referendum.[11] Fifty-five local election committees, and 2,279 polling stations were to be established to carry it out.[11]

To cover all the region's registered voters, 3.2 million voting ballots needed to be produced. They began to be printed on 29 April, and printing continued for eight days after that.[12]

Officials from the Donetsk regional administration said that the separatists would require at least 85 million US dollars to fund the referendum, and that it would cost at least 8 million for Donetsk city alone.[13] According to authorities from the Republic, however, the budget of the referendum is minimal, mostly being composed of donations from private citizens and businesses. Ballots, for example, costed only 9,000 dollars to produce.[11]

By 10 May, fifty-three local election committees and 1,527 polling stations had been established.[14] The Donetsk regional education superintendent informed reporters that they were forced under threat of death to organize polling stations in the schools.[15]

Polling day

The referendum began early on 10 May in Mariupol, which according to the separatist group's election official Sergey Beshulya was due to the possibility of Ukrainian security forces returning.[16] Other locations also reported early voting in some areas.[17] For the remainder of the province, polling began at 8am on 11 May. Donetsk and Luhansk residents living in Russia were able to cast their votes in Moscow.[18] According to ukrainian news sources, most residents did not intend to vote while others did not know where polling stations were located.[18]

Question

The chairman of the Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that the ballots were printed in both Russian and Ukrainian, and ask one question: "Do you support the declaration of state independence of the Donetsk People's Republic?"[19] The actual Russian word used is samostoyatel'nost' (literally "standing by oneself"), which can mean independence or "something slightly less".[20]

Legality

According to article 73 of the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine, and article 3 of the 2012 law on referenda, territorial changes can only be approved via a referendum if all citizens of Ukraine are allowed to vote, including those that do not reside the area.[21][22]

During the referendum in Crimea, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine also stated that there was no possibility for regional authorities to initiate such a referendum, according Ukrainian legislation.[23]

Legitimacy and fraud

Russian president Vladimir Putin publicly asked pro-Russian separatists to postpone the proposed referendum to create the necessary conditions for dialogue on 7 May. Despite Putin's comments, the self-proclaimed authorities of Donetsk People's Republic said they would still carry out the referendum.[24]


Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released an audio recording that they claimed was a phone call Donetsk separatist leader, and the leader of the paramilitary neo-Nazi Russian National Unity group Alexander Barkashov. Ukrainian SBU claims Barkashov insists on falsifying the results of the referendum, says that he had communicated with Putin, and that the referendum could not be postponed.[25] Separatists claim that the recording is fake.[26]

The day before the referendum Ukrainian sources alleged that a group of pro-Russian separatists in possession of a 100,000 ballots already marked with a 'yes' vote for the referendum were captured during the ongoing government anti-terrorist operation, and that the ballots were seized by government forces. Local news reported that polling in some occupied schools had already begun a day in advance.[17][27][26]

A campaign of intimidation, beatings, and hostage taking has forced many pro-Ukrainian activists and known opponents of secession to Russia to flee the region, leaving the referendum to take place without any dissent or opposing voices. At least 24 people were being held by insurgents in Donetsk region at the time of the referendum, according to Human Rights Watch.[28]

Counter referendum

Seven village councils, as well as the districts of Dobropillia Raion and Krasnoarmiisk Raion in Donetsk Oblast requested that they be seceded to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.[29] Dnipropetrovsk governor Ihor Kolomoisky announced that local referendums would take place to allow for his province to administer and provide service to cities in Donetsk and Luhansk which wish to secede.[30] A vote on joining Dnipropetrovsk is scheduled for 11 May to coincide with the secessionist referendum.[31][32]

The referendum was titled "The Referendum for Peace, Order, and Unity." Taking part in the referendum were Debalcevo, Yenakievo, Yasinovataya, Avdeyevka, Volnovakha, Novoazovsk, and Mariupol. Ballot boxes were mobile and polling stations were claimed to be available in all areas under control of the Ukrainian military or law enforcement.[33][15]

International reactions

  • Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – Parliamentary Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic called on the separatists to cancel the referendum, saying “The idea that free and fair voting could take place in these so-called referendums is absurd. Not only are these referendums completely illegitimate in the eyes of the international community, they would be taking place amid a climate of fear, violence and lawlessness that is sure to keep many away from polling places [...] I call on the de facto authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk to call off these mockeries of a vote. All in Ukraine should instead focus on making their voices heard on 25 May, when the country elects a new president."[34]
  •  Germany – A spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said "Such a referendum, against the Ukrainian constitution, does not calm things down but escalates them".[2]
  •  Russia - Russian president Vladimir Putin asked on May 7 for the referendum to be postponed in order to help create the conditions for "direct, full-fledged dialogue between the Kiev authorities and representatives of southeast Ukraine".[24]
  •  United States – State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said "This is the Crimea playbook all over again. No civilized nation will recognize the results. And if Russia takes the next step to re-enact its illegal Crimea annexation in eastern or southern Ukraine and sends more forces over the border, harsh US and EU sanctions will follow".[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Pro-Russian activists in Donetsk prepare referendum for May 11". Kyiv Post. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Germany and US Criticize Donetsk Referendum". Breitbart. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Ukraine: Donetsk polling stations gear up for Sunday referendum". Euronews. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Pro-Russia activists proclaim independent republic in Donetsk". The Guardian. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Pro-Russian Separatists in Donetsk Begin Organizing May 11 Referendum". The Moscow Times. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Donetsk's pro-Russian activists prepare referendum for 'new republic'". The Guardian. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Ukraine's acting president calls for action against pro-Russian separatists". The Guardian. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  8. ^ a b c "Separatists refuse to end occupation despite Geneva agreement". The Guardian. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  9. ^ "66% дончан видят будущее в единой Украине". News of Donbass (in Russian). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  10. ^ Babiak, Mat (19 April 2014). "Southeast Statistics". Ukrainian Policy.
  11. ^ a b c "Donetsk referendum to take place soon, 2000 polling stations ready". Voice of Russia. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  12. ^ Kolyvanov, Yegor (29 April 2014). "Донецкие типографии печатают бюллетени для референдума" (in Russian). NTV. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Донецкие сепаратисты ищут 85 млн грн на областной референдум". Donetsk.comments.ua (in Russian). 23 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  14. ^ "Президентських виборів на Донбасі не буде - представник ДНР". BBC Ukrainian Service (in Ukrainian). 10 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  15. ^ a b "В Донецкой области проходит 4 опроса одновременно, каждый из них называется "референдум"". News of Donbass. 11 May 2014.
  16. ^ http://obozrevatel.com/politics/29350-dnr-dosrochnoe-golosovanie-o-statuse-donbassa-prohodit-v-mariupole.htm
  17. ^ a b http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/100000-yes-ballots-for-referendum-intercepted-2-347222.html
  18. ^ a b "Separatists start their referendum in Donbas". Kyiv Post. 11 May 2014.
  19. ^ "East Ukraine's Donetsk republic plans to hold sovereignty referendum jointly with Luhansk". Itar-Tass. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80
  22. ^ "Закон України "Про всеукраїнський референдум"". Search.ligazakon.ua. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  23. ^ http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/03/3/7017317/
  24. ^ a b http://bigstory.ap.org/article/un-officials-meet-ukraine-government
  25. ^ "SBU Audio Links Donetsk Republic to Russian Involvement". Ukrainian Policy. 7 May 2014.
  26. ^ a b Denyer, Simon; Fredrick Kundie (10 May 2014). "Ukraine's rebels say they are seeking a mandate, not independence, in referendum". Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  27. ^ http://obozrevatel.com/politics/38691-zaderzhana-gruppa-terroristov-perevozivshih-100-tyis-progolosovavshih-byulletenej.htm
  28. ^ Blair, David (11 May 2014). "The 'disappeared' whose voices will be silent in vote on self-rule in Ukraine's east". The Telegraph.
  29. ^ "Семь сельсоветов Донетчины просят присоединить их к Днепропетровской области : Новости УНИАН". Unian.net. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  30. ^ публикация Borys Filatov. "Коломойский готов навести порядок в Донецкой и Луганской областях | Обозреватель". Obozrevatel.com. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  31. ^ http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/05/10/donetsk-residents-to-vote-in-referendum-on-joining-dnipropetrovsk/#more-8771
  32. ^ http://en.itar-tass.com/world/730171
  33. ^ http://www.0642.ua/article/532007
  34. ^ http://www.kyivpost.com/content/politics/osce-parlimaentary-assembly-president-calls-for-cancellation-of-absurd-referendums-in-eastern-ukraine-347227.html

Template:2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2014_Donbas_status_referendums&oldid=608041084"