The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said that the decision not to hold local elections in 18 territorial communities in Luhansk and Donetsk regions near the front line did not fully ensure the observance of the rights of citizens.

Director of the OSCE ODIHR Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir said at an online conference on Monday that the decision not to hold elections in 18 government-controlled territorial communities was not transparent enough, and did not make it possible to fully ensure respect for the rights of citizens, which also affected civil confidence.