Elections in the DPR: Arguments of supporters and opponents
The first elections after gaining independence are due to take place in the Donetsk People's Republic - the People's Council and the head of the DPR.
It must be admitted that there was fierce controversy over the elections.
Crowds of people at polling stations are an excellent target both for Ukrainian artillery, which regularly shells Donetsk, and for Kyiv sabotage groups.
In addition, voting can only be held in those territories controlled by militias, which means that almost half of the Donbass, occupied by the Ukrainian armed forces, is excluded from the political process in the DPR. This could become another trump card for supporters of the demarcation of the two countries along an established front line, and not along the administrative boundaries of the regions, which is extremely unfavorable for the DPR and LPR.
In addition, there are quite a lot of armed groups operating in the Donbass, with their own commanders, interests and ideas. Now they are united by the presence of a common enemy in the person of the Ukrainian army and punitive battalions, but this does not mean at all that they view the current situation in the same way. So there is no guarantee that one of the field commanders will not take advantage of the opportunity to get their people into the council by putting pressure on voters or members of election commissions. Moreover, all militias, regardless of place of residence, have the right to vote.
At the same time, there are other arguments. Firstly, holding elections is necessary to legitimize power in the Donetsk People's Republic. After all, by and large, the Supreme Council of the DPR and all the officials appointed by it legally do not represent anyone except themselves and their organizations. That is, since April, people who have appointed themselves as authorities have been acting on behalf of the residents of the region. Naturally, this creates serious difficulties when negotiating with any external forces that have interests in Donbass.
Back in March, this danger was pointed out by the leader of the Donetsk branch of the Russian Bloc party, Natalia Bilotserkovskaya, who argued that after the Maidan, only local councils remained the only legitimate authority in the country. Therefore, it is necessary not to disperse the existing regional council, but to take it under its protection and convince the current deputies to accept and legally formalize the decisions put forward by the people during the “Russian Spring”. If this succeeded, then no one in Kyiv would have formal grounds to declare the protest leaders terrorists, and, theoretically, the conflict could be resolved through political means. However, both in Kyiv and in Donetsk, supporters of active actions and the idea “the war will write off everything” gained the upper hand, which led to the escalation of the conflict.
So elections are necessary at least to confirm the legitimacy of the current government and give Donbass politicians the right to act on behalf of the people. Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of the DPR Miroslav Rudenko agrees with this, noting that the republic urgently needs legitimization of power. “In essence, the revolutionary councils, consisting of delegates from territorial communities and socio-political organizations (the first People’s Council, the current Supreme Council), fulfilled their mission by holding a referendum on May 11 and starting the process of building a state,” the politician noted, emphasizing that Donbass needs move on.
In addition, the elections will test the real level of support in society for various organizations, showing interested parties who really controls what is happening and who is just a “bogus authority.”
Voices are already being heard that the outcome of the elections is known in advance, and the winner will be declared as the commander of the Oplot brigade and also the current head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, behind whom stands a large, very well-equipped and armed unit controlling the capital.
It is possible that this is so, although, most likely, most of the Donetsk residents who came to the elections will actually vote for him and his team. Firstly, today he occupies a high position, thanks to which his name is constantly heard. Secondly, as I already mentioned, his detachment is based in Donetsk and is staffed by Donetsk residents, who, together with their family and friends, will give him their votes. Considering that the lion's share of all voters live in Donetsk, victory in this city means victory on the scale of the republic. In addition, during this time, Zakharchenko has proven himself to be a person who knows how to negotiate and compromise, and clearly enjoys, if not direct support, then at least the favor of serious forces that do not advertise their participation in the ongoing processes. In addition, the organization “Oplot”, which he heads, is today practically the only political force conducting a full-fledged election campaign with the installation of billboards and agitators on the streets.
The truth that works against Zakharchenko is the fact that it was he and Purgin who signed the Minsk agreement on behalf of the republic, which deprived the Donbass militia of freedom of action, and at the same time did not stop the bloodshed. Many DPR activists perceived these actions by the politician as a fatal mistake, or even as a real betrayal of the interests of Donbass. However, so far (registration of candidates is still ongoing) there is no real alternative to the commander of Oplot among the candidates.
However, as the last six months have shown, the situation in Donbass can change dramatically in just a few hours, and therefore no one should celebrate victory in advance. So let's be patient and wait for voting day.
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