Zelenskyy orders to organize elections after full ceasefire – The Economist

Last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened a meeting to instruct his team to organize elections after a full ceasefire, which the Americans believe they can implement by the end of April, government sources told The Economist.

It is claimed that the first confirmation could come on the eve or on May 5, when a parliamentary vote is due to be held on whether to extend martial law, which expires on May 8. Lifting martial law is a necessary first step to launch the electoral process.

Sources differ on the exact timing, but most say Zelenskyy is targeting the summer. The law requires at least 60 days for a campaign, so the earliest possible date would be early July. But some sources say the campaign will last three months: that is how long the electoral authorities have told parliament they need to restore voter lists in the midst of the war.

The unnamed official believes Zelenskyy will try to catch his rivals off guard with a July election, hoping that the tight deadline will allow him to run unopposed. Such a move would benefit more than just the president, the source said: “A long campaign would tear the country apart.”

It said a rushed vote risks worsening already bitter relations between the powerful, centralized presidential office and the rest of Ukraine’s political landscape.

Finding a way for millions of voters abroad, in the trenches or in russian-occupied regions to vote will be “even harder.” One solution could be to use the government’s smartphone app, Diia. But that would raise questions of transparency. Any change would mean changing the constitution, which would require a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The publication points out that for many months the Ukrainian president has faced intense pressure from abroad: from russian dictator vladimir putin, who questioned his legitimacy, and from US President Donald Trump, who echoed putin’s theses.

“Both appear to have been irritated by Mr Zelensky’s stubbornness. They pushed him to hold elections in the middle of the war, believing no doubt that Ukrainian voters would do them the favour of unseating him,” The Economist claims.

But Mr Trump’s disgraceful treatment of him in the first week of March has boosted his ratings, according to a poll commissioned by The Economist magazine, and appears to have changed his calculations.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on March 25 the Rada reacted to a statement by the Special Envoy of the US President Donald Trump for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, on the elections, calling it promoting putin’s interests.

Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that elections in Ukraine are necessary, and Ukraine has already agreed to hold them.

Politico also reported, citing its own sources, on talks between members of Donald Trump's team and Zelenskyy's political opponents. The publication claimed that the parties allegedly discussed elections after a temporary cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.

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