According to 'Kiev Independent', on the 23rd local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected the call by Ukraine's former Defense Minister Fedorov for holding elections during wartime, stating that such actions could lead to the division of the country.
On that day, Zelenskyy spoke to the media, saying that wartime elections were 'destruction of this country'. ' Holding elections right now is a tsunami for the country, and it will divide Ukraine. My strategy is to lead the country towards the end of the war, and to preserve an independent and sovereign nation.'
Fedorov was dismissed by Zelenskyy in July, and subsequently protests broke out in many parts of Ukraine, demanding that the government reinstate him. On August 18th, Fedorov released a video calling for wartime elections in Ukraine and stating that Ukraine was facing a governance crisis. This move was seen as an attempt to force Zelenskyy into a difficult position.
On the 23rd, Zelenskyy responded that Ukraine had previously faced pressure from various parties to hold elections during the war. However, he stated that no partner had proposed a plan for voting under safe, legal, and democratic conditions.
Zelenskyy said that any election must allow military personnel, residents of frontline areas, and millions of Ukrainian people abroad to vote, while also ensuring that voters are protected from Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy was elected as the President of Ukraine in 2019, and his five-year term should end in May 2024. The presidential elections were supposed to take place in March 2024, but due to the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in February 2022, current Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections during wartime.
