Rada working on bill for post-war elections – Servant of People Venislavskyi
The Verkhovna Rada is working on a bill concerning elections that will take place after martial law is lifted. The process involves representatives of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and international partners.
This was reported by Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the parliamentary defense committee and MP from the Servant of the People faction, according to Censor.NET, citing Espreso.
"Once martial law ends, we’ll face a range of electoral challenges that simply didn’t exist in peacetime. The task is to hold elections that meet international standards as closely as possible, even though the security situation will not yet fully match pre-war conditions. We must also ensure the broadest possible participation of eligible Ukrainian citizens," the People`s Deputy stated.
In addition to security issues, there is the problem that millions of Ukrainian citizens are currently abroad.
"Under Ukraine’s Electoral Code, elections abroad can only be organized on the premises of diplomatic missions and consular offices. But considering the large number of Ukrainians abroad, this is not feasible. So this issue must also be addressed. There have been international examples — polling stations set up in stadiums or concert halls, for instance. There are many such challenges currently under discussion. That’s why it’s too early to say the bill is finalized — only some conceptual elements have been developed so far," Venislavskyi added.
According to him, elections cannot be held earlier than six months after the war ends.
"Even if such a draft law is prepared and passed, that does not mean elections will take place the next day. They certainly won’t happen immediately, because once the legal regime of martial law is lifted, a whole range of measures must still be taken to ensure security — particularly in areas where hostilities took place, in direct combat zones, and in settlements that were affected. Citizens in those areas must also be guaranteed the opportunity to participate in the elections," the People`s Deputy said.
