Crimean Tatar leader calls on Ukraine to insist on recognizing Russian Duma elections as illegitimate
A Ukrainian politician and public figure and leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement in Ukraine, Refat Chubarov, stated that Ukraine should demand recognition of illegitimacy of the entire newly elected Stated Duma of the Russian Federation, as he stated on the TV Channel 112.
"Ukraine should demand the recognition of illegitimacy not only of those deputies who will be elected through illegal elections in the Crimea, but also of the entire State Duma of the Russian Federation. It is indeed illegitimate as it will be formed on the basis of votes of citizens from a certain part of Ukraine [the Crimea],” Chubarov stated.
Chubarov noted that according to international standards the OSCE decided not to send their representatives for monitoring the elections to the Russian Parliament in the territory of the annexed Crimea.This is because it is a part of the sovereign Ukrainian State. Furthermore, the relevant statements regarding the impossibility of holdingthe elections in the Crimea were issued by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
"Russians will try to demonstrate to the world that they allegedly have a large number of voters in the Crimea and citizens of voting age, and they will undoubtedly claim a high level or percentage if necessary, as was done in a referendum on 16 March 2014. Russians will claim that it is another demonstration of the will of the Crimean people. Ukraine must begin to question the legitimacy of the newly elected state Duma of the Russian Federation and must not change the subject,” Chubarov added.
On September 10th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine protested against Russia’s intentions to hold elections to the State Duma on September 18th in the territory of the Crimea and argued the impossibility of voting by Russian citizens in consular and diplomatic offices in the territory of Ukraine.
Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine addressed the world community, calling on them to deny recognition of the legitimacy of the elections to the State Duma held in the annexed territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.