Elections need security and legal changes – Verkhovna Rada holds the ball – CEC

The Central Election Commission (CEC) emphasized that in order to hold elections in Ukraine, it is necessary to amend the legislation on holding elections during wartime, so the ball is now in the court of the Verkhovna Rada, Deputy Chairman of the CEC Serhiy Dubovyk has said.

"Elections cannot be held in wartime. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized first of all the security factor. Elections can only be held when there are appropriate peacetime conditions and appropriate legislative conditions," he said during a nationwide telethon on Monday.

According to Dubovyk, it is necessary to revise Ukrainian legislation, which is designed for peacetime. "After the prerequisites are met, the legal issue regarding martial law will be resolved, and we can talk about holding elections. But to hold elections, amendments to the legislation are required that would take into account the nuances of holding post-war elections or elections after the cessation of the active phase of hostilities," he added.

As Dubovyk noted, this requires the development of a roadmap and a draft law in parliament. "The Central Election Commission, together with the expert community and representatives of international partners, is working on the necessary changes to the legislation. But in these conditions, the ball is in the Verkhovna Rada’s court. We hope that the work of the working group, which was announced at the conciliation council, will begin. And we will be able to actively participate in these processes and organize the preparation of legislative acts," he said.

Dubovyk also stated the importance of ensuring the greatest possible involvement of citizens in the electoral processes. In particular, those citizens living abroad, military personnel, and temporarily displaced persons living in other communities.