Over 80% cast ballot in Luhansk vote: Local officials
Iran Press TV
Sun May 11, 2014 2:34PM GMT
Over eighty percent of eligible voters in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region have taken part in a referendum on declaring sovereignty, according to local officials.
Local authorities say they were unable to hold the referendum in several cities of the province because Ukrainian forces prevented the ballot papers from reaching there.
According to reports, the highest voter turnout in neighboring Donetsk Province has so far been registered in the mining city of Ugledar.
Eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, are holding separate votes on Sunday, asking residents to answer the question on whether they want an independent republic or not.
The votes come despite a call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone the referendum to create better conditions for talks to resolve the ongoing crisis.
The two regions, which are home to about 7.3 million of the 46 million population of Ukraine, have seen deadly clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia protesters in recent weeks.
The acting government in Kiev launched a military operation in mid-April in a bid to root out the pro-Russia demonstrations after protesters occupied government buildings in over a dozen eastern and southern cities.
More than 100 people have been killed over the past week in intensified Kiev crackdown on the flashpoint city of Slavyansk as well as Odessa and Mariupol.
Polling stations in Luhansk and Donetsk regions opened at 8:00 local time (5:00 GMT) and will close at 10 p.m. (19:00 GMT). Initial results are expected a few hours after the voting is over.
The Western-backed government in Kiev described the independence votes as 'illegal.'
MOS/AB
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