Rebel-held areas of war-torn eastern Ukraine went ahead with controversial elections Sunday amid encouragement from Moscow and fierce criticism from Kiev and Washington, reports GHN based on CNN.
The voting takes place against a violent backdrop. Despite a truce on paper between pro-Russian separatist groups and Ukrainian government forces, sporadic fighting on the ground continues.
Authorities in Kiev have said the rebel-organized voting is illegitimate.
"A just society can be built only where there is the rule of law, when there are fair elections, unlike elections -- pseudo-elections -- that terrorists and bandits are planning to hold on occupied territories," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said ahead of the voting. "On November 2, under the barrels of guns, they want to demonstrate a fake expression of will."
Ukrainian authorities said Sunday that they are launching a criminal investigation into the separatist elections, calling it "a power grab," Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Security Service of Ukraine.
Some residents determined to vote
But some residents of the devastated region said ahead of the vote that they were determined to participate in the vote.
"Day and night we hear shots. Yes, they bomb us. Yes, we have bomb shelters and basements. But we don't want to go back there. That's why we are preparing for the elections and hope for something better," said Tatyana, a schoolteacher.
"Mostly people are afraid. The constant shooting scares people. But of course we should go and vote to reach something good in life," said Valentina, a local resident.
Last weekend, the bulk of Ukraine under government control held its own parliamentary elections which keep pro-Western parties in power.
But citizens in Russian-annexed Crimea and the eastern areas controlled by separatists didn't participate in those elections because of the ongoing violence.
