E.Ukraine rebels announce results of controversial elections

KIEV - The independence-seeking insurgents in Lugansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine on Monday revealed the final results of their contentious "presidential and parliamentary elections."

In the poll, rejected by Kiev as "illegal," the top rebel leader in eastern Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko, won the presidential election in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic with 78.9 percent of the vote, according to the self-styled head of the Central Election Commission, Roman Lyagin.

In the so-called parliamentary race, the Donetsk Republic party, led by Zakharchenko, won out with 68.35 percent of the vote, Lyagin added.

In Lugansk, another self-proclaimed people's republic, Igor Plotnitsky, the self-styled defense minister, gained 63.4 percent to become "president."

Plotnitsky's Peace to Lugansk Region party secured a victory in the so-called parliamentary race with 70 percent of the vote, followed by the Lugansk Economic Union movement with 22 percent.

The elections, held in the two eastern regions on Sunday, triggered mixed reaction among the international community.

Russia said it would recognize the results of the polls, while the United States, the European Union and the United Nations have condemned the elections.

The Security Service of Ukraine said it had launched a criminal investigation into the elections to punish "actions aimed at forceful change or overthrow of the constitutional order or takeover of government."

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