"The deadline for adopting a law on local elections in some areas in Donbas has not been fixed yet," DW reported with reference to Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which commented on Ukrainian media reports that the law should be finalized in March with the elections to be held until June 2016.
The German Foreign Ministry says that the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk continues talks on the modality of the Donbas election.
"It is the subgroup for political issues within the Trilateral Contact Group that is engaged in discussions and agrees the modalities of the local elections in Donbas," the ministry said.
At their meeting in Paris on March 3, the Normandy foreign ministers reached common understanding of the need that the coordination of their positions should be facilitated as much as possible, it said.
The ministry confirmed that "international experts advise Ukraine on the modalities of the local elections in Donbas."
Earlier, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced that no considerable progress in the issue of local elections in occupied territory in Donbas had been achieved at the Paris meeting.
At the same time, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine Andriy Mahera predicts it is impossible to hold local elections in separate districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in occupied territory in Donbas within the next two years.
"I don't believe it's possible to hold elections in separate districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in June 2016, I even doubt it could be done in June 2017," he said on Channel 5 on Wednesday.
Director General of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine Oleksiy Koshelia confirms that the local elections in Donbas "aren't realistic in the near-term outlook."
