Is it confirmed that the presidential election will occur in 2026?
In the heart of Washington D.C., during a late summer meeting at the White House in 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to hold elections once military actions come to a close, as reported by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the prospect of elections in 2026 remains uncertain in Ukraine due to the ongoing state of martial law. The Central Election Commission (CEC) has confirmed that there are no prerequisites for either parliamentary or presidential martial law to take place under these conditions.
The current martial law in Ukraine prevents elections from being held, and the draft budget for the next year does not provide funds for an election campaign given the ongoing martial law. According to CEC calculations, conducting an election campaign could require up to 20 billion hryvnias ($485 million).
In light of these challenges, Sergei Dubovik, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission, has initiated legislative measures aimed at organising and ensuring transparent, free, and fair elections following the end of the war. This includes a focus on electoral reforms, security protocols, and mechanisms to facilitate voting in conflict-affected areas.
The CEC is also working on legislative initiatives related to future post-war elections. It's worth noting that neither parliamentary nor presidential elections have been held in Ukraine since the martial law was imposed on February 24, 2022.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty, discussions about the possibility of holding presidential elections in Ukraine in the near future are ongoing. For now, the Central Election Commission is not currently planning elections due to the ongoing martial law and lack of funds for an election campaign.
The legislation on the state of martial law clearly states that elections are not held during the period of martial law. This legislation has been in place since the conflict began, and as a result, the parliamentary elections scheduled for late October 2023, and the presidential elections for spring 2024, have not taken place.
Amidst this uncertainty, the Central Election Commission continues to operate in its usual mode, ready to facilitate elections once the conditions are right. The people of Ukraine await the day when they can exercise their democratic right to vote and shape their nation's future.
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