Donetsk, Sep 23 — DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic parliament has elected Denis Pushilin Head of the Republic.
Under the DPR Constitution which was adopted after the Republic’s accession to Russia, the regional parliament elects DPR Head for a term of five years.
President Vladimir Putin presented three candidates for regional leader: DPR Acting Head Denis Pushilin (nominated by the ruling United Russia party), Andrey Kramar (head of the regional branch of the Liberal Democracy Party of Russia) and Kazbek Taisayev (Russian parliament member representing the Communist faction).
After the Saturday vote, Pushilin took the oath of allegiance to the people and the Constitutions of Russia and the DPR.
DPR Head is the senior executive official who protects the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, ensures the functioning and interaction of government bodies, forms the regional government, sets the main guidelines for regional development and represents the regions in relations with the Russian president, Federal Assembly, government, State Council and other bodies, organizations or officials. He has the right to sign agreements and treaties on behalf of the Republic.
Denis Pushilin, a veteran Donbass protest movement leader, has headed the DPR since 2018. He was born in Makeyevka into a family of factory workers. Pushilin studied at the Donbass National Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture. In 2020, he graduated from the Donetsk Academy of Management and Public Administration. He stood at the origins of the movement against the Ukrainian government overthrow and participated in the proclamation of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
In the spring and summer of 2014, he had executive jobs in the interim government and Supreme Council. In November 2014, he was elected deputy speaker of the regional parliament, and in September 2015, he was elected parliament speaker. He represented the DPR at the Minsk talks in 2014-2018. Pushilin led the region after the death of DPR’s first Head Alexander Zakharchenko. Following the Republic’s accession to Russia, he was appointed DPR Acting Head. Pushilin is married with three daughters.*jk