On September 19, the Public Chamber of the LPR appealed to the head of the region Leonid Pasechnik and the People’s Council (Parliament) with the initiative to immediately hold a referendum on joining Russia.
On the same day, the Public Chamber of the Donetsk People’s Republic prepared a similar appeal to the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin and the People’s Council of the Republic.
On September 20, the People’s Council of the LPR appointed a referendum on joining Russia for the period from September 23 to 27, 2022.
The same dates were chosen for the referendum in the DPR.
On September, the public movement “We are together with Russia” asked the head of the military-civil administration of the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Balitsky, to hold a referendum and join Russia as soon as possible.
In response, Balitsky said that the referendum will be held only in the territories controlled by Russia from September 23 to 27.
- Vladimir Rogov, a member of the military-civil administration of the Zaporozhye region, that the region will declare independence and become part of Russia within the administrative borders.
- On September 20, the head of the regional military-civil administration of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said that he signed a decree on holding a vote following the public request. It will be held at the same time, from September 23 to 27.
The heads of all the four regions sent their appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to accept the republic into Russia as soon as possible following the results of the vote.
In order to secure the population, during the first four days people could vote at the place of their residence and in public places, i.e. outside polling stations.
- The fifth day will be allocated for those who would like to vote “at the polling station in the usual mode.”
In the DPR, people will answer the question: “Do you support the entry of the DPR into the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?”
In the LPR, the question will sound like this: “Are you in favor of the LPR becoming part of the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?”
In the Kherson region the question will be: “Are you in favor of the region’s secession from Ukraine, the formation of the Kherson region as an independent state and its entry into the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?”
In the Zaporozhye region it reads: “Are you for the withdrawal of the Zaporozhye region from Ukraine, the formation of an independent state by the Zaporozhye region and its entry into the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?”
- The questions will be written both in Russian and Ukrainian. People could not vote online.
It was reported that observers of the Central Election Commission of Russia (CEC) can take part in holding referendum. The CEC is also responsible for organization of polling stations on the territory of Russia for the referendum of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
Speaker of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin declared that Russia will support the decisions of the people in the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhie and Kherson region.
In turn, Kiev has already threatened the people in the lost territories in an attempt to prevent them from declareing their will.
It has previously claimed that the referendum would be the basis for Ukraine to withdraw from negotiations on the settlement of the conflict with Russia. In early September, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk said that Ukrainians would face a prison sentence for participating in vote.
“If collaboration is proved, or, for example, participation in a referendum, or inducement to participate in a referendum, then people can get up to 12 years with confiscation,” she said.
Source: SOUTHFRONT
Kherson Region Within Its Administrative Borders to Become Part of Russia, Authorities Say
EU Threatens Russia With New Sanctions If Referenda Conducted
The European Union threatens Russia with new sanctions in the event of referenda in the LPR, DPR, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
- “Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these ‘referenda’ and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered,” the statement says.