Ukrainian political parties unanimously agree to postpone elections until war ends

The sitting parties in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, have agreed that the country’s next parliamentary and presidential elections should only be held once the war ends, Ukrainian online newspaper Strana.ua reported.

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy said that it was “not the right time” to hold elections in the country, adding that the country needed “to focus much more on defence. … We must decide that now is the time to defend ourselves and fight.”

While Zelensky’s five-year term expires in 2024, elections cannot be held until an end to martial law in the country has been declared. Zelensky said that it would be “irresponsible” to hold elections during wartime.

Representatives of all parties “agreed that future free and fair national elections should be held after the end of the war and martial law, with sufficient time being given to prepare for the elections” in a statement signed last month that has only now come to light.

The signatories stressed that elections should be held no earlier than six months after the lifting of martial law. Presidential elections were originally due to be held in March 2024.