Dontesk to go ahead with referendum

The head of the recently self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic has pledged to go ahead with a planned referendum next month to decide the future of the region in eastern Ukraine.

According to AFP, on Saturday, Denis Pushilin, co-chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic presidium, described a referendum on the “declaration of independence” as “inevitable” and said the vote would be held on May 11.

According to Pushilin, the question to be asked in the referendum would be, “Do you approve of the declaration of independence of the People’s Republic of Donetsk?”

He added that Dontesk would hold new elections to choose its leader following the upcoming vote, rejecting reports that the region does not possess the necessary financial resources to organize such events.

He added “We will see what the best deal is for our relations with the rest of Ukraine — whether we have a federation, a confederation or independence.”