Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
The Economist: Donetsk’s dubious elections
Militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard on Nov. 4, 2014 outside a theater before the inauguration of the newly elected leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
Rebel commander Alexander Zakharchenko smiled only slightly on hearing that he had won this weekend's elections in Donetsk, Ukraine. The results were never in doubt: Mr Zakharchenko's nominal opponents openly supported him, and his face was the only one on campaign billboards. Nonetheless, eastern Ukraine's separatist republics went through the motions of democracy, including inviting international election observers.
