The new head of Zelenskyy's party: My appointment does not bring elections closer

The re-elected head of the presidential party Servant of the people Oleksandr Kornienko denied any connection between his appointment and the upcoming elections in Ukraine. The politician, who also holds the post of first deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, said in a blitz interview with LIGA.net.

The journalist noted that some people's deputies call the new head of the National Assembly a good political technologist. She asked Kornienko if he was really appointed to prepare the party for the upcoming elections.

"You have to judge whether I am a good political technologist or not by the results. Before politics, I worked as a consultant and campaign manager. That's how I met [president] Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019, and that's how I headed the Servant of the People's campaign headquarters," he replied.

The politician noted that as a deputy he has been responsible for electoral legislation for many years and has been participating in working groups on amendments to the electoral codes.

We are currently creating a broad working group on the legislation on the first elections after the war, as well as in response to the question of Donald Trump's presidential administration about the possibility of voting during martial law, Kornienko said.

"My appointment does not bring the elections in Ukraine any closer. This issue depends on peace. Even in conversations with our partners, we only talked about presidential elections. Each party aims to maintain and improve its position. But now the main challenge is the war, prolonged cadences and public fatigue with the current government. Let's do everything we can to ensure fair and transparent elections after a just peace," summarized the first vice speaker of the Rada.

• Four years ago, Kornienko resigned as head of the National Assembly because of a backstage conflict with the former head of the presidential Office, Yermak. Now the latter is no longer in the Office, and Kornienko on December 17 once again headed the party. Whether his appointment is really a signal of preparations for the elections and how Zelenskyy's party can regain trust – read on in a blitz interview LIGA.net with a politician.