A special working group has been formed in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to promptly examine the possibility of holding presidential elections during martial law. This was announced by the head of the parliamentary faction “Servant of the People,” David Arakhamia.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Preparation for Discussing the Electoral Process
According to Arakhamia, representatives from the relevant Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on State Governance, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning will be involved in the group’s work, as well as all parliamentary factions, the Central Election Commission, and civic organizations engaged in electoral issues. The date and time of the first meeting will be announced soon, to which representatives of the media will be invited.
“The discussion will take place jointly with representatives of the relevant Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on State Governance, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning, involving representatives from all factions and groups in parliament, the Central Election Commission, as well as civic organizations that deal with electoral issues.”
International and Domestic Reaction
At the international level, the issue of holding elections in Ukraine has been raised multiple times by leaders of other countries. U.S. President Donald Trump stated in a December interview that presidential elections in Ukraine should be held, noting that “they have not been held for a long time,” and suggested that the Ukrainian authorities are using the war to avoid elections. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized his readiness for elections and called on the United States to assist with security guarantees for their conduct. Subsequently, Zelensky also reported on consultations with the Verkhovna Rada regarding the possibility of holding elections during martial law.
Previously, Donald Trump had already called for elections to be organized in Ukraine and referred to Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator,” but later did not repeat such statements.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials of the Russian Federation have repeatedly falsely claimed that the Ukrainian president is allegedly illegitimate due to the absence of elections in 2024, and also stated the illegitimacy of all Ukrainian civil authorities due to the appointment of regional officials by the president.
At a press conference in Moscow on December 19, Putin stated that Russia is “ready to consider” guaranteeing security during possible elections in Ukraine, specifically mentioning refraining from missile strikes on Ukrainian territory on election day. At the same time, he emphasized that there would be no ceasefire announced for the elections in Ukraine, reminding that Russia has already held elections during hostilities without a truce.
It is worth noting that according to current legislation, the holding of elections is prohibited during the martial law that was declared in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.