Ukrainian president calls new election in eastern regions

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday called a local election in eastern regions to be held " under Ukrainian law".

"We are ready to clearly define the area where these elections will be held in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation," Poroshenko said during an emergency meeting of the country's National Security and Defense Council to discuss the recent vote organized by independence-seeking insurgents which was rejected by Kiev.

Accusing the rebels of violating a ceasefire agreement signed in Belarusian capital Minsk, Poroshenko asked the security chiefs and the parliament to scrap a law on "special status" of areas in the east including those controlled by the rebels.

Instead, Poroshenko proposed to create a free economic zone in Lugansk and Donetsk regions that will have special trade relations with Russia and the European Union.

The law on "special status", which increases the authority of local communities by transferring more economic, financial and administrative powers to the regional governments, was approved by the Ukrainian parliament on Sept. 16 following a ceasefire agreement with rebels.

On Sunday, insurgents in eastern Ukraine held controversial " presidential and parliamentary elections", which Kiev deemed illegitimate and counter to the Minsk peace protocol. Enditem