MADRID, April 17. /TASS/. Head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission Oleg Didenko has said that more than three months will be required to arrange elections in the country after the hostilities cease but this process should not be too long.
"We must prepare for post-war elections to the best of our ability," Didenko told the Spanish newspaper El Pais, "however, the process should not be too long so as not to create the impression of clinging to power without proper justification." The CEC head refrained from specifying exact timelines but estimated that presidential elections would take over three months to arrange once the hostilities end.
This statement follows Didenko's earlier remarks that the government intends to adjust legislation to postpone the elections. Under the current law, parliamentary and presidential elections must be announced within a month after the lifting of martial law. However, the country’s leadership intends to delay the elections on the pretext that they will now take more time to prepare.
Parliamentary and presidential elections are not held in Ukraine due to martial law. However, over the past weeks, there have been repeated speculations in the Ukrainian media that martial law may not be extended this time amid negotiations to resolve the conflict with the participation of the United States. There were even possible dates for the presidential and parliamentary elections, including this summer. However, on April 16 the Verkhovna Rada voted to extend martial law for 90 days until August 6.
Zelensky's presidential term officially expired on May 20 last year, but he is doing everything to remain in power, including trying to remove potential political opponents and delay a peaceful settlement. As Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said, Zelensky's legitimacy is over, so it is important to understand who to deal with in Kiev to sign legally binding documents.