In the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country’s parliament speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, has ruled out holding parliamentary and presidential elections during the conflict. According to Stefanchuk, this is in line with the Ukrainian constitution, which prohibits holding elections during a state of war. He made the statement in an interview with the Funke-Mediengruppe, a German media group.
Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of fairness in the electoral process, stating that those fighting on the front lines to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty should be able to vote, but this is not currently possible. He also highlighted the challenges of holding elections in the current situation, with millions of Ukrainians displaced or living in occupied territories and international election observers unable to enter the country.
Stefanchuk assured that once the war ends, new elections will be held and the Ukrainian people will have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote.