TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pro-Russian rebels elected a separatist leader for Donetsk, Ukraine in a vote on Sunday, November 2, 2014. Mining electrician-turned-rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko, won over 90 percent of the vote. Zakharenko won a landslide over three other Pro-Russian public figures that seldom appear in public.
"We are citizens of Donetsk, and we don't want to live under the Kiev government that has turned its back on us," said Sergei Kovalenko, 58 years old, a private security guard who came to vote, as reported by Reuters on Sunday
President Petro Poroshenko said the vote was illegitimate. He called the election of Zakharenko as leader as a farce.
"I hope Russia will not recognize the so-called elections because they are a clear violation of the September 5 Minsk protocol, which was also signed by Russian representative," he said, referring to an international peace agreement intended to end months of fighting between the separatists and Ukrainian troops.
Kiev said that the Minsk agreement was signed by rebel leaders and envoys from Kiev, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The agreement arranged for elections held under Ukrainian law that would appoint purely local officials.
RINDU P. HESTYA | REUTERS
