A representative of Ukraine's self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic expressed skepticism about the fairness of the Scottish independence referendum Friday, saying the results may have been falsified.
"I would not rule out the possibility that the British authorities falsified the results of this referendum, since the difference between those who voted for independence and those who voted against it is not very significant. Several percentage points could have been manipulated to preserve the union of Great Britain," Miroslav Rudenko, a deputy of the self-proclaimed republic's supreme council, was cited as saying by Interfax.
Rudenko made the comments the day the referendum results were announced in favor of keeping Scotland part of the U.K.
According to Rudenko, the international community displayed double standards by recognizing the referendum — which Scotland had been preparing for during the last few years — as legitimate and allowing it to be conducted officially.
"First of all, we see that Scotland was allowed to conduct an official referendum, while we were not … There's a double standard: When they suit the West, these referendums are sanctioned, but when they don't, they aren't even allowed to be officially conducted," Rudenko was cited as saying.
The Donetsk People's Republic declared independence after holding a snap referendum in mid-May amid fighting in eastern Ukraine. The vote was condemned by both Kiev and the West.
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