Millions of ballots ready for vote in east Ukraine
DONETSK, UKRAINE (CBS) – Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s eastern city of Donetsk continued on Wednesday with preparations for holding a controversial referendum to break off ties with Kyiv and declare independence.
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had pulled back its troops from the Ukrainian border and called for Sunday’s referendum on autonomy in Ukraine’s restive east to be postponed.
But despite the eleventh-hour remark by Putin, preparations for the vote continued in Donetsk.
Donetsk People’s Republic election officials said some 3 million ballot papers have been printed for the May 11 vote, with one yes-or-no question, in Russian and Ukrainian: “Do you support the act of proclamation of independent sovereignty for the Donetsk People’s Republic?”
Officials said there would be around 1,200 polling stations set up to accommodate voting and they expected a turnout of some 70 percent.
Outside the regional administration building that has become the center for self-declared leadership of the Donetsk Republic, Russia supporters said the referendum was the only way forward for the region to find peace.
Publicity for the referendum has been negligible, however, although stenciled graffiti has turned up on sidewalks showing the word “referendum” next to a crossed-out swastika.
A paper, Voice of the People, featured a headline (in Russian) saying, “May 11 referendum…Support the independence of the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
Another front page offering asked, in Russian, “Why the May 11 referendum is necessary?”
Protesters shouted, “Referendum!”, and handed out Donetsk Republic flags.
Russian flags flew outside barricaded buildings as masked pro-Russian activists looked through binoculars.
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