Working group to prepare laws on holding elections during war to meet on Dec 26 – Korniyenko
The first meeting of the working group to prepare legislative proposals on the specifics of organizing and holding elections during martial law (post-war elections) in Ukraine will be held on Friday, said the head of the working group, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko.
"The first online meeting of the working group on the preparation of elections and referendums during martial law and in the post-war period is scheduled for tomorrow at 13:00. Currently, approximately 60 individuals have been included in the working group. People without working group membership status, but with the opportunity to participate, may also join," Korniyenko told the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
According to the MP, the working group includes two representatives each from all parliamentary factions and groups, about ten people from key public organizations, and representatives of executive authorities and law enforcement agencies.
"The level of representation varies — mainly, these are deputy heads of specialized departments. For example, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is the State Secretary. The group includes five members of the Central Election Commission, headed by the chairman. Representatives of the secretariats and the CEC and the Verkhovna Rada are present to record the technical component," Korniyenko noted.
He said that the chairman of the group has three deputies: Olena Shuliak, the chairwoman of the parliamentary committee on state power; Oleksandr Zavitnevych, the chairman of the committee on national security; and Olena Kondratiuk, the deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
He said that the first meeting of the working group will consist of two main sections.
"The first block is organizational. We will discuss how we will proceed. I have an idea to form thematic subgroups to hold more professional technical discussions, and then discuss and finalize everything as a large group," Korniyenko noted.
According to him, during the second block, the working group members will listen to a speech by the Central Election Commission.
"The CEC members will prepare an overview presentation in which they will address all the problems that exist in elections during martial law and post-war elections. Then, we will exchange views on how to solve these problems and where we need to move. We will work for about two hours," Korniyenko emphasized.
He also reported that the working group meeting will be broadcast online on social networks and YouTube.