The Donetsk Referendum is now history and visible turn out seemed higher than the vote in Crimea with supporters claiming nearly 69% of local voters participating. That number was immediately spun higher as the professional spin masters took over.
The voting process was lenient and that prompted charges from the other side about multiple voting, caravan voting, etc. When you allow anyone to vote without documents and there is no way to check as to whether a person has voted at another polling station, the holders of referendums left themselves open to such charges but frankly a clean election was not a concern here.
Whether it was clean or even legal really doesn’t matter as the feat is accomplished and any attempt to reverse the decision will have to gain permission of a larger neighbor.
Call it “New Russia” [b]Ново Россия[/b] because that is what the Referendum holders have dubbed the region:
Ukrainian Presidential elections are scheduled for 25 May but it is doubtful that Ukrainian citizens in this region will be allowed to participate.