Donetsk, Sep 20 - DAN. Denis Pushilin is a clear favourite in the November 11 Head of Republic election, Donbass Volunteers Union leader Alexander Borodai told the Tass news agency on Thursday.

“Denis Pushilin is one of the founding fathers of the Republic. No, he did not participate in the fighting, he wasn’t a combatant,” Borodai said. “He was among the people at the origins of the state building of the Donetsk republic. At that time, he showed himself to be an active and hard-working public figure.”

“Over these years, Pushilin has taken a big step forward as a parliamentary politician. He now bears the burden of executive power. It’s always a burden, and in the DPR it is particularly hard, difficult work. I hope that he will cope with it,” he said.

DPR Head Alexander Zakharchenko was killed in a terrorist attack in central Donetsk on August 31. On September 7, the DPR parliament set November 11 as the date of the early parliamentary and Head of Republic election. The parliament appointed its speaker Denis Pushilin as acting DPR Head.

Earlier on Thursday, reports said that acting DPR Head Denis Pushilin agreed to run for the Republic’s top post.*jk