'We're already not in Ukraine' - rebel east readies secession vote

[dipsydoodle]

(Reuters) - Behind the barricades of tyres and car bumpers, past the masked militants who hold Donetsk's filthy administration building, there is a man in a suit in a spotless office, working from an Apple iMac on a vote to dismember Ukraine.

Roman Lyagin, 33, head of this self-proclaimed republic's electoral commission, does not hide his distaste for the gunmen who seized control here a month ago, but he shares their aims.

"Every revolution accumulates its fair share of loons," he told Reuters. But, he said, "we simply cannot live any more within Ukraine. Ukraine has already de facto said goodbye to us."

If Kiev has not already lost its industrial east, it risks doing so on Sunday, when people in this steel and coal belt – many of them ethnic Russians or native Russian-speakers – vote in a 'Yes' or 'No' referendum on secession.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/07/uk-ukraine-crisis-referendum-idUKKBN0DN0GD20140507

[newthinking]

1. We need to face it. If the Junta was representative and moderate this would not have occurred

You can blame it on "Putin", but only if you do you do not know the Ukrainian people. Despite the emphasis in news stories on the "divisions" in the country, they were not causing strife and most people were "live and let live -before maidan and the current government. Putin used it to his advantage, but he never could have if we had not given him that capability by placing an unrepresentative and radical government in place.

Just like in the US with Republicans it was only the further right that hated and were intolerant. They were a minority until we enabled them until they were able to get into power.

There was no "Right Sector" group before Euromaidan, the displaced anger and rage attracted radicals who were then able to recruit and enlarge during maidan.

Even the moderate people that were there for European integration have been harassed by those they stood with and tolerated in Maidan since the overthrow.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. I love the irony of people claiming the interim Ukrainian government is illegitimate.....

.....when those people "self-proclaim" themselves by force to be the leaders of their territory.

[Duckhunter935]

3. the

hypocrisy is amazing