Poroshenko to visit Donbas after December 7 elections
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he intends to sign a law introducing special self-government procedures in some districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, under which local elections will be held on December 7.
"I have adopted the grounds and decisions for the re-election of the parliament. Trust me, I will not hesitate to sign a law on local councils, and this law will be signed," he told a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.
Poroshenko said he will visit Donbas after the December 7 elections.
"I am confident that this [the visit to Donbas] may take place right after the local elections. The key issue is that the elections are to be held on December 7 as per the law. And when Donetsk elects a legitimate city mayor, who can represent the interests of the city's residents, I will be happy to meet with him. Why hasn't that happen earlier? Because I don't have anyone to meet with there now," Poroshenko said.
According to earlier reports, the Ukrainian parliament on September 16 passed a presidential law introducing special self-government procedures in some parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions for a period of three years and on holding early local elections in these regions on December 7.
