Volodymyr Zelenskyi: “I believe that now is not the time for elections”
- Author:
- Anhelina Sheremet
- Date:
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in his evening address on November 6, stated that the election is not the right time.
"We must decide that now is the time of defense, the time of battle, on which the fate of the state and people depends, and not the time of abandonment, which only Russia expects from Ukraine. I believe that now is not the time for elections. And if it is necessary to put an end to this or that political dispute and continue to work only in unity, then the state has structures that are able to put an end to it and give the society all the necessary answers. So that there is no room left for conflicts and someone elseʼs game against Ukraine," Zelenskyi said.
On November 3, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, that Zelenskyi is considering "for" and "against" holding presidential elections next spring.
On November 5, Peopleʼs Deputy of the "European Solidarity" faction, Oleksiy Goncharenko, stated that Zelensky approved the decision to hold presidential elections on March 31, 2024. "According to my information, Volodymyr Zelenskyi has decided to hold presidential elections next year. He instructed the Office of the President to prepare for the elections scheduled for March 31, 2024. Itʼs like a constitutional deadline — the last Sunday in March. They are going to explain such a decision to society by the fact that it seems to be a requirement of Western partners. In particular, the fact that if these elections are not held, then Zelensky loses legitimacy," Goncharenko said.
- According to the plan, presidential elections in Ukraine should be held in the spring of 2024. Currently, Ukraine is under martial law (it will be extended until February 14, 2024). The Law of Ukraine on the Legal Regime of Martial Law expressly prohibits the holding of elections during martial law. The Central Election Commission can announce the beginning of the election campaign only within 30 days after the lifting of martial law.