MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. A Ukrainian court ruled to involve Vladimir Zelensky in the lawsuit regarding the scheduling of presidential election date and gave him 10 days to provide explanations on the substance of the dispute, opposition Verkhovna Rada Deputy Alexander Dubinsky, who filed the lawsuit, said.
"We are gradually moving along my lawsuit to the Verkhovna Rada demanding to set the date for the election of the president of Ukraine. The Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court, which reviews our lawsuit, made two interim decisions: […] to involve [Zelensky] in the lawsuit and to give him 10 days to provide explanations on the substance of the dispute," he said on his Telegram channel.
According to Dubinsky, the court also rejected the Verkhovna Rada’s request to close the case due to the "political nature of the dispute." He added that the next court meeting will take place on November 11.
Dubinsky, who is currently in detention, filed the lawsuit demanding to oblige the parliament to hold presidential elections. Back then, he noted that the multiple corruption scandals prove that the current authorities have been in power for too long, and the lack of elections, which must be held under the Constitution, only exacerbates the situation.
Zelensky’s Presidential powers officially expired after May 20. The issue of the regime’s legitimacy without parliamentary and presidential elections, which are prohibited during marital law, remains a matter of discussion in Ukraine. Former Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Vadim Pristayko admitted that Kiev’s partners are also concerned over the expiration of Zelensky’s duties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine tries to cover up the ruling of its own Constitutional court, made in May, 2014, that a presidential term cannot be prolonged. Putin underscored that this means that Zelensky’s term "has expired, along with his legitimacy, which no tricks can restore.".