Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of parliament from the “Servant of the People” party and chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and interparliamentary cooperation, stated that he would not support any bill that would allow for elections in Ukraine during martial law.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Merezhko’s position on elections during the war
Speaking on air, Merezhko emphasized that the initiative to hold elections during the active phase of the war is dangerous for the state. He is convinced that such an idea could lead to destabilization in the country and has neither legal nor political grounds for implementation.
“Its sole purpose is to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. Therefore, I see no sense, either legal or political, in agreeing to this idea. As of today, I am very skeptical about it; I would rather vote against it because it is a Putin’s idea.”
Opinions of state leaders and international reaction
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that the issue of possible territorial compromises should be decided by the people of Ukraine, either through elections or a referendum. At the same time, he noted that holding elections is only possible under conditions of security guarantees from the U.S. and European partners. Zelensky also announced that he would initiate consideration of a bill that would allow for organizing elections during martial law.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of holding elections in Ukraine twice last week during conversations with the press. However, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, organizing the electoral process during wartime is prohibited.