Donetsk Republic (political party)

The organization was established on December 6, 2005 as a city organization by Andrei Purguin, Alexander Tsurkan, and Oleh Frolov and on December 9, 2005 with support of Hennadiy Prytkov as a regional organization. The main goal of the organization was to grant the eastern regions of Ukraine a special status.[7] It claimed to fight the "orange plague" of President Viktor Yushchenko.[7] Their goal was to create a Federal Republic of Donetsk in Southeast Ukraine.[8] According to a map they published in 2006 this Federal Republic of Donetsk would comprise the (Ukrainian Oblasts) Kharkiv Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Donetsk Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zaporizhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast.[8] Its pre-2014 rallies were averagely attended by about 30-50 people.[7]

From November 17 to November 22 of 2006, its activists were conducting protests in Donetsk and were gathering signatures on creation of the Donetsk Republic.[9] Their activities were not supported by the prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych.[10]

At the beginning of 2007, representatives of the organization conducted number of activities in various cities of eastern Ukraine propagating the idea of separatism and federalization of the country.[11]

The group was banned by Donetsk's administrative regional tribunal in November 2007 on grounds of separatism. Despite this, the party continued to hold rallies.

In 2014, the organization founded the Donetsk People's Republic, which Ukraine's government calls a terrorist organization.[5]

The group's leader, Andrei Purgin, was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest.[3][4]

The party won the 2014 Donbass general elections with 68.53% of the vote and 68 seats.[6] The Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic participates in the Donetsk Republic's parliamentary group.[2] In the election campaign prior to these elections only the candidate of Donetsk Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, used billboards.[12] This resulted to the only visible campaign advertising in Donetsk being in support of Zakharchenko.[13]

In the days and weeks prior till the postponement of the DNR October 2015 local elections (to 21 February 2016[14]) 90% of the (campaign) advertising was done by Donetsk Republic.[15]