Representative of the President in the Verkhovna Rada/parliamentary committee member on national security, defense, and intelligence, Fedir Venislavskyi, believes that elections will not be held in Ukraine during martial law.
The MP said this in an interview for the Ukrainian News agency.
"... I believe that it is impossible to hold elections in compliance with all democratic standards in order for them to be recognized as free and democratic in wartime conditions. I think that elections will not be held during the legal regime of martial law," he said.
Venislavskyi noted that during the war, it is impossible to guarantee the safety of all participants in the election process.
"The participation in the elections is generally binding; that is, all eligible citizens must participate in the elections, including those in the trenches. The probability that during hostilities, everyone will be organized away from the front line, from the performance of combat tasks, will go vote and return to perform combat tasks again - an illusion," he explains.
Also, among the reasons against holding elections during the war, he cited the impossibility of ensuring the free operation of mass media in all territories (including those where hostilities are taking place) and the implementation of the right to vote in the occupied territories.
In his opinion, the powers of the Verkhovna Rada will end in autumn next year.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers it possible to hold elections during the war, but this requires changes to the legislation and appropriate funding.
A US senator said that the elections in Ukraine should be held even in conditions of war.
The Council stated that the Constitution does not prohibit holding elections during wartime.
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