Ukraine to hold elections 'immediately after war,' Zelensky's chief of staff says

Ukraine will hold elections "immediately" after the end of the war to allow all soldiers and refugees to vote, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said in an interview with Corriere della Sera published on Oct. 27.

"(President Volodymyr) Zelensky is very clear; he wants all soldiers and refugees abroad to be able to vote," Yermak told the Italian newspaper.

"But for now, resources must go to the war."

Ukraine was scheduled to hold a presidential election in March or April 2024, concluding Zelensky's first five-year term.

The vote was postponed as the country's constitution does not permit elections under martial law, which was declared on Feb. 24, 2022, at the onset of Russia's all-out invasion.

Zelensky, who has held the office since May 2019, said in December 2023 that he is ready to hold the presidential election, but most Ukrainians think such a vote would be "dangerous and meaningless" in wartime.

His statement was supported by several nationwide surveys, with 70% of Ukrainians saying Zelensky should remain in office until the end of martial law.

Russia and various anti-Ukrainian voices have sought to utilize the postponement of elections to cast doubt on the country's commitment to democracy and undermine the president's legitimacy.

Ukraine is also expected to hold the next parliamentary elections after the war. The last vote for the legislature was held in July 2019.

Zelensky's Servant of the People party holds the majority in the parliament, but there is a growing number of vacant seats as a number of lawmakers have resigned, and they cannot be replaced without the next elections.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term in office is supposed to end on May 20, 2024 – but it won’t. As Russia’s war delayed the elections and Zelensky’s term is looking indefinite, Ukraine’s President’s Office is preparing to weather the storm of critics questioning the president’s legitimacy. Offici…

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

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