Elections in Ukraine under martial law are possible only if the right to vote is ensured for all citizens, including military personnel and displaced persons abroad, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an interview with TV presenter Natalya Moseychuk.
He also noted that funding and the presence of foreign observers at polling stations on the frontline should be ensured.
"We need every vote. We will not be able to say for ourselves that this is a very democratic election. We need a legitimate choice. We need this choice to be made by society. So that it does not divide our people. We need the military to be able to vote. They are defending this democracy today, and not giving them this opportunity because of the war is not fair. I was against the elections only because of this," Zelenskyy said.
The second aspect of the possible holding of elections during the war is the issue of funding, which is lacking. The president said that he had discussed this topic with US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
"I told him: if the USA and Europe give us financial support... I'm sorry, I will not hold elections on loan, I will not take money from weapons and allocate it to elections either. But if you give me this financial support, if the parliamentarians understand that we need to do this, then let's change the legislation quickly and, most importantly, let's take risks together," Zelenskyy explained.
He also focused on the organisation of polling stations and the presence of observers, including foreign ones.
"There must be observers in the trenches. I told him: you and I must send observers to the frontline so that we can have legitimate elections for us and for the whole world. And it is absolutely fair," the president said.
He also recalled that a significant number of Ukrainians are now abroad, and significant resources and polling stations are also needed to ensure their expression of will.
Earlier, US Senator Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Kyiv that elections in Ukraine should be held in 2024, even if the war continues.
The statement by Ukrainian parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, that the constitution does not prohibit holding elections during martial law has sparked a hot debate. And not only in the Servant of the People party chat. Most MPs from different factions that LB.ua spoke insisted that there would be no elections until the martial law ends.