MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has signed the laws adopted by parliament on the extension of martial law and general mobilization by another 90 days until February 14, 2024, according to the Verkhovna Rada’s website.
The Ukrainian parliament voted for Zelensky’s bills on November 8.
Martial law and general mobilization were introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This extension was the ninth. Previously it made it impossible to hold parliamentary elections, originally due at the end of October. According to the Ukrainian Constitution, voting cannot be held during martial law. The latest extension of martial law until mid-February next year also puts into question the possibility of holding the election of the head of state in spring, as in this case a full-fledged election campaign will not have time to begin.
The possible cancelation or postponement of the presidential vote has long been the subject of speculation in the Ukrainian mass media. Recently, some media outlets, citing sources, said that preparations for the election were being made.
As former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov noted, the authorities should announce the election three months in advance, i.e. by the end of December.
Zelensky himself has not yet given an unequivocal answer, but in a video message on November 6, he demanded a halt to attempts to "throw [the election issue] out into society" for discussion, adding that an election would be ill-timed.