Donetsk, Nov 11 – DAN. The international community has to take Donbass into account, said DPR Interim Head Denis Pushilin.
"Today we have witnessed a landmark historic event, making it obvious for everyone that we are the state to be taken into account throughout the world. No one is allowed to ignore people's will. We have proved that we are not only able warriors, but we are also committed to democratic principles in building a state."
Pushilin said that Donbass shall pursue integration with Russia and praised the unprecedentedly high voter turnout.
Voter turnout at the Head and Parliamentary elections has reached 80.1 percent by the time polling stations in DPR closed at 8 p.m. as nearly 1.6 million people have cast ballots.
Five candidates are running for Head: Denis Pushilin, Elena Shishkina, Roman Khramenkov, Vladimir Medvedev, Roman Evstifeyev. Two social movements are vying for Parliament seats: the Donetsk Republic and the Free Donbass.
International observers have been invited to monitor the elections, 48 of them, nationals of Russia, Abkhazia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Finland, France, Chili and South Ossetia, were present as monitors.
Early elections took place from November 6 to November 10. All those who are unable to cast ballots today have had an opportunity to do so over the week, as DPR service members have done, among others. *ot