Representatives of the Ukrainian election commission have concluded that Ukraine should not hold elections this year, which puts Kiev on the path to confrontation with the United States, The Times reports, quoted by UNIAN.
According to the newspaper, members of the official working group on elections were supposed to submit a draft law to parliament at the end of last month, but said they still had to resolve key issues on how to ensure fair elections, free from Russian attacks or interference.
They plan to continue discussing the issue until at least the end of May. However, the group agreed that Ukraine should start the election campaign no later than six months after the discussions, the adoption of the necessary legislation and the establishment of a ceasefire, which effectively rules out holding presidential elections this year.
Sergiy Dubovik, deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, said:
“Everyone agrees, including members of parliament, that the active phase of hostilities must end, a clear demarcation line must be established, and only then a six-month period is needed to organize elections. The deadline has already been postponed. It is certain that the system will be operational in April and May, because we have not yet resolved all the issues.“
It is noted that presidential elections could be held under martial law by amending the constitution through a referendum. However, the working group ruled out holding the vote during hostilities. The group members cited the risk of mass casualties in the event of an attack on a polling station. Dubovik also said that restrictions on freedom of speech and movement imposed by martial law could hinder the election campaign.
He added that opposition parties were unwilling to agree to digital voting, which could potentially be manipulated by the government and would be closed to international election observation missions.
Pressure from the United States prompted the Ukrainian presidential administration to form a working group in December, consisting of representatives of election commissions, members of parliament and representatives of civil society. The challenge it faces is “unprecedented.”
“The group is exploring how to facilitate voting for the estimated six million refugees abroad, the estimated three million Ukrainians living under Russian occupation, and nearly a million military personnel, many of whom are serving on the front lines. The elections must also meet international standards to avoid derailing Ukraine’s plans to join the European Union.“
“There is no precedent for holding such a vote, especially within existing international standards, such as those of the Council of Europe. There are no examples that we can use as a basis,“ said Dubovik.
Trump administration advisers have compared the problem to the 1864 presidential election during the American Civil War. Dubovik is baffled by their failure to understand the risks Ukrainians face, such as airstrikes, cyberattacks or digital information warfare. He said:
“I won’t mention names, but you know what example they gave us? The American Civil War. They said: “We held elections during the Civil War, so why can’t you?“ That came from the Trump administration.“
He said British advisers, who proved more helpful, suggested looking at how Polish citizens vote in Britain. Voters must register in advance, but can vote in British schools or community centers, not just embassies or consulates.
Recently, the head of the presidential administration, Kirill Budanov, said that it was pointless to talk about potential presidential elections in Ukraine at this time.
According to him, the issue of elections was not raised during the recent talks between Ukraine and Russia. The Russians were mainly focused on their demands regarding Donbas.