Elections in wartime can only be an imitation, they are impossible without security guarantees, says analyst

Elections held during the Russian war can only be an imitation. Voting cannot be held without the state guaranteeing the security of all participants in this process. About this for text by LIGA.net said Olha Kotsiuruba, senior advisor at the Civil Network OPORA.

The Ukrainian constitution explicitly prohibits voting during martial law – elections held under such conditions cannot be called an expression of will, the analyst noted.

"After all, Ukrainian elections must meet international standards and be free, fair and genuine," she explained.

Elections cannot be held without the state's ability to guarantee the safety of all participants in the process – election commission members, candidates, observers and voters, Kotsiuruba said.

She emphasized that elections are not just one day of voting.

Security requirements also apply to the nomination of candidates, the possibility of campaigning, including meetings with voters, preparation for voting, transportation of ballots and direct observation of the election, the analyst explained.

The war also imposes additional restrictions, such as curfews and security protocols during air alerts, and holding elections in such conditions contradicts the basic principles of democracy, Kotsiuruba said.

"It was Russia's aggression that made the presidential, parliamentary and local elections impossible," the analyst emphasized.

What will take place during the war can only be an imitation, not a real vote in the international sense, she noted.

• Earlier, Zelenskyy, reacting to Trump's previous statements about the election, said that "always ready" to them, and later called on the United States to ensure appropriate security conditions for voting. He also discussed with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada the following issues, holding elections during the war.
• For the same text by LIGA.net a source in the Servant of the People said that in Ukraine work has already begun on the electoral legislation for voting in wartime.
• MP and head of the Rada's Foreign Affairs Committee Merezhko says that talks about holding elections are a way to strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations with the United States.