The attempts by the West to challenge the results of the referendum on the Lugansk People’s Republic joining Russia are senseless, LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik said as he was voting at the polling station in the Pavel Luspekayev Lugansk Academic Russian Drama Theatre.
“Our pro-Western opponents will probably want to challenge the referendum results in some manner, claiming that we were forced to vote,” Pasechnik said. “I can say with absolute confidence that it is not true. You all saw the turnout, you know the results.”
All these years, people have been lacking stability; they have not been confident in the future, he added.
“As of today, I believe that the referendum has already taken place. I’m sure that we’re returning to our historical Motherland and I’m sure that objectively, it it is historical reality; there is no other way. We’re Russian people. We could not go to the side of Ukrainian Nazis. We have to stay back here, in our land; we have to stay with Russia which we actually confirmed today, our whole Republic,” the LPR leader said.
On September 23-27, the Lugansk People’s Republic is the referendum on joining the Russian Federation as a constituent entity. Polling stations are open to voters only on September 27; on other dates, voting took place at special venues including public space in residential areas. The LPR Central Election Commission set up 461 polling places in the LPR and 201 in Russian regions.
On May 11, 2014, the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics held a referendum on their self-determination as Kiev launched a military operation against Donbass. LPR and DPR independence was supported by 96.2 percent and 89.7 percent of voters, respectively. The Republics proclaimed their state sovereignty on May 12, 2014.
On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. He asked the Federal Assembly to support this decision and then ratify a friendship and mutual assistance treaty with the Donbass Republics. On the same day, Putin and LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik signed a friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaty between Russia and the Lugansk People’s Republic. *i*t
