Elections are possible after several months of ceasefire, - Zelenskyy
About 9 million Ukrainians are currently living abroad, which could pose one of the key challenges in organizing the upcoming elections. A separate issue is the participation of residents of the temporarily occupied territories in the voting process.
According to Censor.NET, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement in an interview with CBC News.
Zelenskyy stated that he is ready to hold elections even in the near future; however, he said that current legislation and the security situation are preventing this.
"I am ready to hold elections as early as tomorrow, but if the war continues, you cannot do so—neither in accordance with the Constitution, nor with election laws, nor, first and foremost, given the security situation. How are people supposed to vote when children can’t go to school? How can we hold elections when 9 million people are abroad? Usually, about half a million people vote from abroad," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine could organize elections provided there is a ceasefire for several months. This period could be used to prepare for and conduct the election, as well as to continue working toward ending the war.
A separate issue is voting in the occupied territories
The president also drew attention to the issue of voter participation by citizens residing in the temporarily occupied territories.
"Will they vote? How will they vote, and who will oversee the voting process there? There are Russian soldiers present," Zelenskyy noted.
Thus, organizing elections in territories under Russian occupation will require a separate decision regarding the feasibility and method of conducting the vote.
Voting Abroad
The president specifically cited the participation of Ukrainians living abroad in the elections as a major challenge.
According to his estimate, there are currently about 9 million Ukrainians living abroad. Before the full-scale invasion began, about 500,000 citizens voted outside Ukraine during the elections.
Therefore, organizing voting for a significantly larger number of Ukrainians living abroad will be one of the issues that must be resolved before the election takes place.
During wartime, peace must be the primary goal
At the same time, Zelenskyy stated that, in his opinion, the people currently advocating for the holding of elections are those who want to get involved in politics.
"I think that's a mistake. During a war, peace is the number one priority. Politics isn't even number two. Even for politicians, politics ranks tenth. And for ordinary people, it's in the hundredth position. People have other priorities: how to survive, how to make a living, how to go to school... what to do about all of this?" he said.
Previously, Zelenskyy had opposed holding elections while active hostilities were underway. He now acknowledges the possibility of organizing them following a temporary ceasefire, which should provide the necessary time to prepare for the electoral process.
