CEC on post-war elections: Preparations should start now
17 April 11:30
After the end of the full-scale war, Ukraine will inevitably face the issue of restoring democratic procedures, especially elections. This was stated by the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine, Oleh Didenko , in an interview with the Spanish edition of El País, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
He emphasizes that delays in the election process can have serious consequences for the legitimacy of the government. Therefore, they should be held as soon as possible, but in a realistic time frame.
“We have to prepare for the post-war elections as best we can… But the timeframe should not be too long, so that it does not look like an attempt to stay in power without sufficient grounds,” Didenko said.
These words came against the backdrop of an active international and domestic debate about the upcoming elections – presidential, parliamentary and local – which should have been held in 2024-2025, but cannot be organized due to the martial law.
Preparing for the elections: technical and legal aspects
Didenko noted that even after the cessation of hostilities, it would be impossible to hold elections “for tomorrow” – the country would need at least three months for organizational and logistical preparations. It is not only about technical details, but also about the restoration of the electoral infrastructure, in particular:
- establishing or registering new polling stations in liberated or destroyed settlements;
- updating voter registers that have changed significantly as a result of massive internal displacement and emigration;
- organizing voting for military personnel, including those on the front line;
- ensuring the right to vote for internally displaced persons abroad – more than 6 million Ukrainians, according to UN estimates, now live outside Ukraine.
In this regard, Didenko called on the Verkhovna Rada to adopt a separate law on the peculiarities of holding elections in the post-war period. This regulation should take into account the unique conditions – from security to humanitarian – in which the country will be.
Avoiding distrust: elections as a factor of legitimacy
In his statement, the head of the CEC actually acknowledged what experts have been saying for a long time: delaying the elections may be perceived by society as an attempt to retain power without a democratic mandate. Although there are legal grounds for such a step (according to the Constitution, elections are not held during martial law), political risks remain.
“If we want to maintain public confidence in the state, in the parliament, in the president, the elections should not just be called, but prepared in advance,” Didenko emphasized.
According to him, the CEC is already analyzing scenarios of the electoral process, collecting proposals from international partners and preparing a draft framework for a possible new version of the electoral law.
Elections and international legitimacy
Holding free and fair elections after the war is not only a matter of domestic politics. It is also a key signal to the international community that Ukraine, even after years of war, is maintaining its democratic course.
“It is important for the European Union and the G7 countries to see that Ukraine is able to renew the mandate of the government based on the choice of its citizens,” said one European diplomat who spoke to the CEC as part of an election observation mission.
According to Western analysts, a transparent and technically high-quality election process after the war will also become the basis for the resumption of international funding and the intensification of European integration processes.
Security is the main challenge
Despite the importance of the elections, security remains a key barrier. As long as there is a threat of repeated shelling or sabotage, it is impossible to ensure free expression of will throughout the country. According to Didenko, asymmetric voting models can be applied, such as phased elections depending on the level of security in the regions.
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