The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, ruled out the possibility of holding elections while the Russian invasion continues in the country, as, in his view, an electoral process amid the conflict could deepen internal divisions.
Read more Preliminary magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes eastern Japan and leaves 23 injured
Ukraine has suspended the elections due to the martial law, in effect since the beginning of the Russian offensive. The measure has received broad citizen support, amid priorities related to the defense of the territory.
The debate about a possible election resurfaced after the former Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, raised the possibility of moving in that direction. His departure from office in July triggered unusual protests since the start of the war in 2022.
“I think that in a war like this, elections are a huge risk. Elections at this moment would be a tsunami for the country, which will divide Ukraine”, Zelensky said this Sunday.
The president added that calling elections while tensions continue would pose a risk to national cohesion. “If we want to destroy the country, then we can move forward with holding elections in times of war,” he said.
Zelensky, elected president in 2019, had already faced calls to call elections from the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, and the U.S. president, Donald Trump, despite the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory.
According to a survey by the Kiev Institute of Sociology, only 15% of Ukrainians believe that elections should be held before the end of hostilities.
Read more They Have Done Witchcraft on Me: a story by Jaime Bayly
