Holding 2024 elections possible, but with many challenges — Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Yalta European Strategy Forum on September 8, 2023 (Photo:President's Office)
While it’s possible to hold general
elections in Ukraine in 2024, doing so would require overcoming a set of
major challenges, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Yalta
European Strategy forum on Sept. 8.
“What should we do about temporarily occupied territories and their inhabitants?” Ukrinform news agency quotes Zelenskyy.
“All Ukrainians in occupied territories are very important. Particularly those Ukrainians who found themselves under occupation on Feb. 24 [2022]. What should be done primarily about them? How will they express their will?”
Zelenskyy added that every effort should be made to ensure that Ukrainian troops can also vote — "in the trenches, on the frontline... they defend people's rights, but they, themselves, might not have the opportunity to vote".
The president also brought up the issue of transparency, asking how election observers would "function in the trenches."
“The third issue concerns people who live abroad; there are millions; how will they vote?”
“We don't have the infrastructure. Meaning, we will have to engage the appropriate infrastructure of other countries."
In 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections were supposed to take place in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian constitution rules out holding elections in wartime.
On Aug. 24, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated that elections in Ukraine should be held even under war conditions.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
