DONETSK. March 4 (Interfax) - The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) says it is impossible to hold local elections in Donbas in the first half of 2016 and puts the blame on Ukraine.
"We, Russia, France and Germany have found a common language. Ukraine falls out of this coalition in terms of understanding the importance of passing the bills envisaged by the Package of Measures. Once again, we are witnessing an unconstructive, disagreeable position of Ukraine," Denis Pushilin, DPR representative to the Trilateral Contact Group for Ukraine, told reporters on Friday.
Kyiv "is unable to pass necessary laws and to fulfill its obligations, and we are already hearing this from European politicians," he said.
Even if the Ukrainian authorities change their mind, they are still lacking the Verkhovna Rada's support needed to pass this bill, Pushilin said.
"Even if Kyiv again changes its mind, it is so far unable [to do so], it does not have the necessary support of the Verkhovna Rada and persons close to such decision-making processes. Radicals are handling their questions of interest much more rapidly there," he said.
The 'Normandy Four' foreign ministers agree that local elections in eastern Ukraine should be held in the first half of 2016, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has said.
He also said that the sides to the negotiations had underscored the importance of adopting a Ukrainian law on elections, which would make local elections possible in the first half of 2016.