MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) will hold primaries in autumn to nominate candidates for participation in local election, Donbass militia leader Alexander Zakharchenko said on Monday.

"During primaries, residents of DPR’s capital will choose the most deserving candidates for participation in local election envisaged by the Minsk Agreements," Donetsk News Agency quoted Zakharchenko as saying. He added that the election may take place in the end of 2016 or in the first half of 2017.

"Kiev does not want election, and is afraid of it. (Ukrainian President Petro) Poroshenko knows that his agents will lose it, that’s why he’s playing for time so that the election does not take place," he went on. "However, sooner or later Americans and Europeans will make him implement Minsk-2. That’s why we should be completely ready for an open election campaign with any number of international observers. We need primaries to choose the strongest candidates," the DPR head added.

Donetsk News Agency reported earlier, citing a source close to Zakharchenko, that the decision to hold primaries was made after the DPR head met with Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov. The meeting took place in Donetsk on Sunday. Zakharchenko put forward the idea to hold primaries. Surkov supported the idea and said he will recommend it to the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well.