October 18th Elections in Donbass – a Guantlet Thrown Down to the OSCE?

HERMIUS Today

There’s a dilemma on the horizon for Kiev and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Legislators of the Donetsk People’s Republic last week adopted amendments to the law on local elections. Local elections are planned for October 18th in the Donetst Oblast areas controlled by the DPR. According to the legistators the purpose is to implement part of the Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015 on the organization of local elections in relation to the so-called “special status of Donbas”. Furthermore, the document callls for the Organization of elections “based on election standards of the OSCE”.

This poses an awkward dilemma for the OSCE.

What will be their response when (not if) the authoroties in Donetsk and Lugansk request the organisation’s help in monitoring the elections? How will they respond? How will Kiev respond? After all, Kiev has denounced the proposed elections on October 18th. And, if the OSCE does “monitor” the…

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