This is reported by Kyiv24
The Central Election Commission of Ukraine has developed a comprehensive set of proposals for the legislative regulation of conducting nationwide elections after the cessation or lifting of martial law. The relevant decisions were made at the commission’s meeting on January 7.
Preparation for Upcoming Elections
According to the CEC, the prepared proposals concern the specifics of organizing and conducting elections in the post-war period. These developments will soon be submitted to the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as to the working group that is preparing comprehensive legislative changes regarding the electoral process during special periods and after the end of martial law.
Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation, the commission has been actively analyzing potential risks and issues that may arise during the organization of elections in post-war conditions. In particular, as early as September 2022, the first package of legislative initiatives was developed, which became the basis for improving electoral legislation in the future.
Involvement of Experts and Main Areas of Work
Representatives of the executive branch, members of parliament, experts from civil society, and international organizations were involved in preparing the proposals. The work was conducted in three working groups that addressed the following issues:
- updating voter information to ensure the possibility of voting in the post-war period;
- organizing voting for Ukrainian citizens who are abroad on election day;
- developing a plan of actions for the preparation and conduct of post-war elections.
Based on the results of this work and its own analysis, the CEC prepared legislative proposals that take into account the specifics and potential risks of future nationwide elections.
“Indeed, as early as September 2022, the first package of legislative proposals was developed as an initial framework for improving electoral legislation aimed at ensuring the organization of preparation and conduct of elections after the cessation or lifting of martial law in Ukraine,” the press service states.
It is expected that these proposals will be considered within the working group during the preparation of the draft law regarding the conduct of presidential and parliamentary elections that did not take place due to martial law.
CEC Chairman Oleg Didenko emphasized that the commission’s developments contribute to forming an open dialogue at the parliamentary level with the participation of civil society and state institutions. At the same time, the CEC does not present its proposals as the only possible solution to issues related to post-war elections.
He stressed that their goal is to serve as a catalyst for a broader discussion aimed at finding effective mechanisms for realizing citizens’ electoral rights in the post-war period and protecting Ukrainian elections from possible interference by the aggressor state.
It should be noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky previously suggested that the Verkhovna Rada could adopt changes to electoral legislation as early as February, allowing for the organization of voting even under martial law conditions.
As a reminder, on December 22, working groups were established to prepare a draft law regarding elections during martial law, and their first meeting took place on December 26, chaired by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Korniienko. The Speaker of Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, stated that the group would work on all the nuances of applying the Electoral Code in wartime conditions, including voting mechanisms for military personnel, citizens abroad, voters in temporarily occupied territories, as well as the participation of international observers.
Since the declaration of martial law on February 24, 2022, the conduct of elections in Ukraine has been prohibited.