Parliament extends law on special status of Donbas for a year

A total of 304 MPs voted in favor of the relevant bill, No.4467, at a parliament meeting on Tuesday, December 15, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The document provides for a one-year extension of a special order of local self-government in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, established by Article 1 of the Law of Ukraine "On Special Order of Local Self-Government in Certain Areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions."

As noted in the explanatory note, the law envisages the creation of additional temporary opportunities for the implementation of relevant legislative conditions aimed at a peaceful settlement of the situation in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the basis of the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter.

The law on the special status for Donbas was adopted in September 2014 and came into force on October 18, 2014 for a period of three years. In October 2017, the law was extended for a year, in October 2018 - until December 31, 2019, and in December 2019 - until December 31, 2020.

The law provides that a special order of local self-government in certain areas of Donbas comes into force only "after all the conditions set forth in Article 1 of the law are met, in particular with regard to the withdrawal of all illegal armed formations, their military equipment, as well as militants and mercenaries, from the territory Ukraine".

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