Political expert: Democratic elections during wartime are impossible
Democratic elections in times of war are impossible, said political expert Igor Boțan in the show "Dimensiunea diplomatică" on Moldova 1 TV, emphasizing that holding elections in Ukraine in the current context could generate a crisis of legitimacy. According to Boțan, the insistence of the Russian Federation on organizing the elections is part of a propaganda strategy, aimed at placing Kiev in a difficult situation. On the other hand, the messages sent by US President Donald Trump are intended to convince the Ukrainian authorities to bring solid arguments demonstrating that organizing elections under these conditions is impossible.
“I have no doubt that Trump and his team understand that it is impossible to hold elections during wartime, especially when 20% of Ukraine’s territory is occupied by the aggressor’s forces. (…) If Ukraine were to fall into this propaganda trap of the Russian Federation, the results of the election – regardless of the outcome—would be contested because the law would not be respected,” the expert explained.
The Ukrainian Constitution stipulates that, during wartime, elections cannot be held, and the mandates of elected authorities are extended until the end of the state of emergency. Boțan noted that approximately 30% of voters are outside the country, which would make it impossible to draw up accurate electoral lists.
The expert believes that before any election, it is necessary to stop hostilities and initiate negotiations that would lead to the establishment of a recognized international security framework. Only after reaching a consensus on the future of Ukraine could "legitimate elections take place, which would provide Ukraine with a leadership that can achieve its objectives.".
In this context, the political expert highlighted the need to expand the negotiating framework for resolving the war in Ukraine, to involve not only the actors of the conflict, but also the states that have strategic interests and are affected by the regional situation.
"At the negotiating table must be the belligerent countries plus those who brought the situation to this state, I mean the United States and Great Britain, and the European Union must be at the negotiations because it directly concerns it, Ukraine being a candidate for integration, and several states have common borders with the Russian Federation and Ukraine. I would also advocate for Turkey, and Zelensky's visit to Ankara is an indicator that Ukraine also wants to be part of this format", Boțan said.
