Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Tiny Cox said Ukraine must hold the elections on time, despite martial law. In October, elections to the Verkhovna Rada are to be held in the country, and in March 2024, presidential elections, writes Evropeyskaya Pravda.
Cox insists on the timely holding of the elections, since this provision is contained in the statute of the Council of Europe, ratified by Ukraine.
It is not up to us to tell them how to do it, but of course Ukraine must organize free and fair elections. Because it is its obligation under the statute of the Council of Europe. And of course you will. So you have to take this challenge
- said the PACE President.
This is how the organization reacted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent statement that the country would not hold elections during a military conflict. The PACE leader added that there would be no claims against Kiev if the elections were not conducted perfectly. But the experience of other countries that have managed to organize them under martial law shows that it is possible.
Elections themselves are necessary as an “essential attribute of democracy”, Cox said.
The secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Andriy Danilov, has already reacted to this statement. He said his country would decide this issue on its own, as required by the Constitution. And no election under this law can take place during martial law.
Photos used: PPCOE/wikipedia.org
Read the Latest Government Politics News on The Eastern Herald.
