03.11 LPR Says Luhansk Authorities Always Ready for Dialogue with Kiev

MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) -The authorities of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) have always been ready for a dialogue with Kiev, the head of the LPR, Igor Plotnitsky said Monday.

"We were always ready for a dialogue. We have never withheld it. It is Kiev who has insinuated that they are legitimate and we are illegitimate. This is not the case," Plotnitsky said in a press conference on the elections results.

Plotnitsky also questioned whether the elections in Kiev were legitimate and stated that the authorities in Kiev "should not interfere in our processes."

Plotnitsky said that the authorities in Kiev de-facto recognized LPR long time ago, because they address letters to Luhansk "to the Head of the Luhansk People's Republic," "but they are neither brave nor strong enough to tell the international community: yes that's right."

On Sunday, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics held elections for the heads of local government and representatives of the legislative bodies. There were no violations to the electoral process recorded that could affect the results.

Earlier on Monday Election Commission Chief Sergei Kozyakov announced that the acting head of the LPR Igor Plotnitsky won the Luhansk vote with 63.8 percent.