MPs in the Verkhovna Rada are forming a working group that should promptly address the issue of a possible presidential election during martial law.
This was reported by the head of the “Servant of the People” faction in parliament Davyd Arakhamia.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, representatives of all parliamentary factions and groups, the Central Election Commission, as well as public organizations dealing with election issues will be involved in the discussions.
Journalists will also be invited to the meeting. The date and time of the meeting will be announced separately.
Elections in Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs term was supposed to end in May 2024, but elections cannot be held due to the war. The Constitution does not directly prohibit elections during martial law; such a ban is contained in the law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law".
At the same time, the Constitution contains a number of requirements for elections and referendums that cannot be fulfilled during active hostilities. Therefore, Ukraine insists that elections are possible only under the condition of a ceasefire and security guarantees.
Despite this, Russia regularly demands elections and calls the current government illegitimate. The United States has also joined these demands. President Donald Trump said in an interview on December 9 that “the time has come” to hold elections in Ukraine.
Zelensky responded on the same day that he was ready to hold elections and “is not holding on” to the presidential seat. But security issues, the voting of the military, and the legislative basis for the legitimacy of the elections remain.
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