David Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine’s Servant of the People majority party, has denied reports of a meeting in the President’s Office regarding preparations for elections.
In a comment to the Suspilne media on March 31, he stated that he did not participate in such a meeting and insisted that no such meeting had taken place at all. His remarks were a response to The Economist’s article suggesting that preparations for elections might already be underway.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
According to the Economist article, elections in Ukraine could potentially be held as early as July, and President Zelensky had allegedly convened a meeting on the matter.
“No elections are being prepared, and no preparations are underway. All parliamentary parties and groups have agreed that elections should be held six months after martial law is lifted. And essentially, our position has not changed since then,” Arakhamia told Suspilne journalists.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Serhii Dubovyk said that elections will be held in due time after the end of martial law. However, he stressed that a transitional period will be necessary for rebuilding infrastructure and preparing for the process.
He added that the election process must be adapted to postwar conditions and will require changes to legislation. Dubovyk added that it would be wise to start working on such legislation now — particularly concerning the creation of new overseas polling stations.
‘Die Together’: Ukraine’s LGBTQ Soldiers Fighting Russia – and for Their Rights
Under current Ukrainian law, parliamentary elections must take place 60 days after martial law ends, and presidential elections within 90 days. However, the CEC believes this timeframe will be insufficient for thorough preparation, given the need for recovery and the restructuring of the electoral process in light of the postwar context.
On Monday, March 31, Kyiv Post reported that the US hopes a full ceasefire can be achieved by late April or early May, after which Ukraine can theoretically cancel the martial law – a precondition to host elections – which expires on May 5 at present unless the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s legislature, votes to extend it.
Both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader, though elections are prohibited in wartime per the Ukrainian Constitution.
That said, Trump also said on Sunday that he was “angry, pissed off” by Putin’s recent suggestion that Zelensky should be removed from office and Ukraine be governed by a UN-Led administration.
Zelensky’s domestic political opponents also agree that the country should not hold elections while hostilities are underway and more than a million residents have been displaced.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
