Remote “checkerboard”: why the authorities want elections in wartime
фото: ЦВК
Holding elections under martial law poses serious risks to the democratic process and public trust, while the current government is trying to use the topic of electronic voting to maintain its ratings and prolong its powers.
This opinion was expressed by public activist and journalist Vitaliy Gaidukevych on the air of “Pryamoy”, commenting on discussions regarding a possible election campaign before the cessation of hostilities.
“All this opens a window of opportunity for the “cheat-trick” of remote, electronic, specially written, cunningly invented bills that prohibit elections for those who do not like Zelensky,” the guest noted.
He emphasized that electronic voting technically does not allow for anonymity, which directly contradicts Ukrainian legislation. Haidukevych believes that certain circles in power are trying to use this topic to maintain their ratings and prolong their powers.
The politician is convinced that elections should only be held after a sustained pause in the war and with clear security guarantees. Key obstacles remain the inability of the military to participate on the front lines and the millions of refugees abroad, whose votes are critical to a legitimate outcome.
In addition, Haidukevych believes that any attempts to put the issue of territorial concessions to a referendum are legally dubious and dangerous for the state. “If the authorities hide an attempt to give away territories in such a veiled formulation, they will commit a crime. All those who legitimize such a question will then be held accountable under current legislation, because they have violated the law,” the studio guest explains.
He is convinced that the idea of a referendum is just an attempt to shift responsibility for painful decisions from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s shoulders to the Ukrainian people, because the president was elected precisely to make difficult decisions within the legal framework. According to Haidukevych, veiled statements about “20-point plans” or “free zones” are a manipulation that threatens future lawsuits for the organizers of such a poll.
As a reminder, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the people’s deputies to develop a bill on the possibility of holding elections during martial law. The initiative does not involve preparation for the elections, but was a reaction to statements by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.
It should be noted that there are currently no draft laws or bills in Ukraine that would regulate the holding of elections in wartime. However, the Verkhovna Rada is ready to prepare all necessary documents to ensure a democratic process even during hostilities.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that if the issue of territories cannot be agreed upon during the negotiations, the entire peace plan may be put to a referendum . The President of Ukraine emphasized that the issue of territories is the most difficult in the peace plan, which states that in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions the contact line is fixed at the location of the troops on the date of the agreement – that is, “we stand where we stand.”
As stated on the air of “Pryamoy” by the head of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine Oleksiy Koshel, the introduction of digital tools for expressing will could lead to a complete disruption of the electoral process in Ukraine and would become a kind of gift to the Kremlin . At the same time, organizing voting in conditions of constant missile strikes and drone attacks is a practically impossible task, the CVU added.
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