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UKRAINE IS VOTING in a presidential election seen as the most important in the country’s history as it battles a deadly pro-Russian insurrection in the east.
Turnout was strong in the capital Kiev and the west but across swathes of the rebel-controlled industrial east, most polling stations remained closed.
“Ukraine is now another country so I don’t see why we should take part in this election,” said one woman in the rebel-held city of Donetsk who gave her name as Elisabeta.
“It doesn’t matter what the result is, it doesn’t concern us today.”
The West regards the vote as a crucial step in preventing Ukraine from disintegrating further after Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March in retaliation for the ouster of pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had issued an appeal for voters to turn out in force on Sunday to “defend Ukraine” in the face of a crisis that has plunged relations between East-West relations to a post-Cold War low.
“I hope this election will finally bring peace to Ukraine,” said 38-year-old businessman Oleg as he voted in the western nationalist bastion of Lviv near the Polish border.
Voting closes at 1700 GMT, with first results expected from 2100 GMT.
Few polling stations open
But in the Donetsk region alone, where rebels declared independence earlier this month in defiance of Kiev, only 426 out of 2,430 polling stations were open, and none in the main city.
Even before polling day, election officials had reported numerous cases of intimidation and attacks on polling centres and rebels threatened Saturday they would disrupt the vote “by force if necessary”.
An Italian journalist was killed yesterday during a mortar shell attack close to Slavyansk Rome’s foreign ministry announced.
Violence had flared on the eve of the vote in eastern flashpoint of Slavyansk, where two Western photographers and their Russian translator wounded after being caught in gunfire between separatist and Ukrainian forces.
President Vladimir Putin — authorised by parliament to invade Ukraine if necessary to “protect” ethnic Russians — had appeared to make a major concession Friday by saying he was ready to work with the new Kiev team.
“We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis. We will treat their choice with respect,” he said.
Russia, threatened with more Western sanctions if it disrupts the vote, also said it has started withdrawing from Ukraine’s border around 40,000 soldiers and dozens of tank battalions whose presence had raised deep suspicions about Russia’s next move.
Ukraine has mobilised more than 82,000 police and 17,500 volunteers to ensure security for the vote, being overseen by 1,200 international monitors.
The packed field of candidates features clear frontrunner Petro Poroshenko — a billionaire chocolate baron and political veteran who sees Ukraine’s future anchored to Europe — and 17 far less popular hopefuls that include ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko.
The election should give the new president a stamp of legitimacy as he or she battles against the insurgency and tries to repair relations with Ukraine’s former masters in Russia.
However, opinion polls show Poroshenko falling just short of the 50-percent threshold needed to avoid a second round on June 15, and three weeks of further political uncertainty.
The snap ballot was called by Kiev’s interim leaders who took power after Yanukovych fled in the bloody climax of months of protests sparked by his rejection of a historic EU alliance.
At least 150 people have been killed since the separatists took up arms against Kiev in early April, according to an AFP tally based on UN and Ukrainian government figures.
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Great news,Longford needs something like this
Forgot Longford was a county in Ireland
The rest of us forgot Longford was a county in Ireland. Some seeked professional help in doing so.
Where will we go on holiday this year kids?
Its not. Its a county in Northern Ireland
With all the homeless in the country, glad that there is money for resorts ! I have a real sense of deja-vu about this. But then we are all supposed to say it’s a great idea. Plenty of resorts in the country already.
Name one please? Go on !! I can think of only one such type of resort and that is Trabolgan in cork.
How come the pictures show sunshine????
They bought the set from the Truman Show
Has nobody told them yet that Longford only has 3 seasons. July, August & Winter
You only get the sunshine if you take the all inclusive package.
Great decision well done to Longford council members should be a huge boost to the region
Councillors don’t make planning decisions
@Tweety. They might not make the decision but from my experience they can be very good at convincing the planners that it would be in their best interest to grant permission for a project.
Well done Longford.
Brilliant news and something like this is so badly needed , for Longford and the tourist industry overall.
Brilliant news for Longford.Great vote of confidence following the marvellous County Development Plan prepared by Longford County Council
Just watch this get caught up in planning appeals from now till year dot.
Don’t worry somebody will find something ridiculous to complain about. They always do.
We do now have two Green Party TDs expect this to be destroyed by this lot
Just like you sean. Be the first. Why not
Well I hope not..its great for the local economy. Its a shame they charge the same as a one week trip to Florida..which one would you opt for?
They’re obviously doing something right, in profit apparently and expanding abroad.
Have stayed in Center Parcs park in Longleat, Wiltshire before and it was an amazing experience but also quite expensive! Wonderful amenities and lots of activities no matter what the weather. Accommodation is 5 star. It’s a safe haven for kids. Cars are only parked at accommodation for unpacking & packing, parked in car parks away from accommodation at all other times. Can’t wait to visit this one in Longford when it opens. No way can this be compared to Trabolgan, they are on totally different levels!
yeah, been on a couple in England. very good facilities and completely middle class outfits – and prices to match.
you’d wonder about the extent of their customer base here because it ain’t gonna be cheap.
Anyone commenting ever been to centreparcs? Judging by the comments , no. Heated outdoor and indoor pools, houses for visitors with heating,cycle tracks in the park no cars, shops, indoor and outdoor activities, it’s an all year round venue. The Brits know how to do things like this. My only worry about this, all profits are leaving the country. Yes jobs and investment in a county that needs economic activity but what’s to stop centreparcs from supplying its own labour, own goods from overseas, in fact just about everything imported.………nothing. And we welcome this with open arms. There should be commitments to the local area, the local community and the country.
Alan any chance you could mention Irish Water, Denis O Brien and Thierry Henry, go on it’ll really complete your rant.
You’d make a bright day, dull
Make that Dutch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_Parcs
Went there a few times as a kid and with all the stuff you can do, heated pools both indoor and outdoor, activities all over the place, even when the weather is Irish, it will be a good place to go. Not cheap though but it has a lot up offer secularly if you have kids.
Profits go to ‘fat cats’ who don’t give a toss for the people they live amongst and spend it on expensive imports and foreign travel. Who cares whether they are Irish fat cats, British fat cats or from elsewhere as long as they are willing to invest their capital and create jobs and taxes in Ireland.
Like they were ever in danger of turning down €223 million.
Very easy to get planning permission with 220 million, and 2 months after completion we’ll find out it gets flooded twice a decade.
How much of the €223M is taxpayers money ? 2,500 visitors at any one time & 1,000 permanent jobs ?? Thats 1employee to each 2.5 visitors. Somehow, I don’t think so !
It’s similar to the passenger to crew ratio on a luxury cruise liner, so I don’t see why not.
I doubt that ratio exists on a luxury liner – regardless, either the prices to holiday in Longford will be sky high or the wages will be ‘job-bridge’ like.
There’s always one.
Na James – Thats Tayto Pk your thinking of.
It doesn’t mean everyone is working at the same time
@clive hand – Good point. I still reckon 1,000 is a good bit overstated.
Ok who’s going to bring the Sun?
Holiday home?? Next years refugee camp more likely. No disrespect to the locals.
Trabolgan seems like a nice place on the website but the houses are freezing and everything is run down. Really hope this is better maintained over the years!!
“Hup by m’haunt marys house in longford!”
Ya cried.
Like a big child.
Now lets get it on centreparcs!
Ya junkies bastids ya.
Wtf u need meds pal
Joycean poetry pal.
wait for it, some quango will find a rare bit of ‘fauna’ and the whole thing will grind to a halt while quangos pals do an EPA for €5000 to check said ‘rare’ fauna is safe.
Yeah could be a ‘snail’ paced project.
I’ll only go if there is a seesaw.
I wonder will James Bannon send in a CV, I’d say he’d be great at entertaining the kids! Don’t you only know he’ll claim that he single-handedly brought it to Longford!!!!
It rains 165 days a year in Longford so good luck with that. Brown envelopes to people who manage pension funds etc. If it were in west Cork maybe it would survive but to expect a business to make a profit when it only operates at 100%? for approx 4 good months in a year is risky.
They survive in the UK, the climate there is a tad damp.
Yea the thoughts of placing this in the centre of Ireland, rather than the arsehole of nowhere astounds me too
Excellent News for Longford .
Congratulations
It’ll be a great spot for a halting site ..!
This is huge. Brilliant for Longford and the Midlands. And because it’s a British operation it’ll be done properly.
We need more big developments like you get in other countries, not in a way that would destroy our landscape and reasons why people like Ireland. But we could learn for others and make a great balance of both.
Where is Longford?
Just down the road from Shortford.
Does anybody remember that big casino that was going to be built in Tipperary. When I see it I’ll believe it. Hopefully the Longfords newly elected Westmeath TD’s will get all the credit for bringing it to Longford
Yes, I remember that, and I also remember plans for a sort of theme park planned for Lusk, Co Dublin, back around ’03.
looks like a idyllic location for a piranha attack
Jurassic park?
CAn we have the same photos with it bucketing rain?
Whats the point if there is no summers in this region?
great render looks very slick, just a bit optimistic with the sunshine
have your say