Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov declared this Wednesday (19) that Ukraine must hold new presidential elections. He called for the search for a “legal, safe and realistic mechanism” that would allow Ukraine “to resume a full democratic process, even in the midst of the ongoing war.”
Mykhailo Fedorov was recently removed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the Ministry of Defense amid a reform of the country’s government, leading to intense protests in Ukraine that have been going on for more than a month.
During a video speech published on YouTube, the former Defense Minister harshly criticized Zelensky’s government and defended the pursuit of holding elections even during the war.
“If the war continues for another year, two or three, will Russia be able to effectively obtain the right to determine when Ukrainians will be able to elect their government again? I am convinced that not. Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We fight precisely because we want to remain a free European state,” he said.
According to the Ukrainian Constitution, elections, including presidential and parliamentary ones, can be suspended while martial law is declared in the country. The device was activated in Ukraine in February 2022, shortly after the start of the war, and is regularly extended.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly insisted that holding elections during martial law is impossible and expressly prohibited by Ukrainian law. In this context, President Volodymyr Zelensky claims that millions of Ukrainians have fled the war to the west of the country and abroad, and that approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory is under Russian occupation.
The former Ukrainian Defense Minister, in turn, recognizes that organizing the elections will be difficult, as it will be necessary to grant the right to vote to the military, residents of front-line regions and citizens abroad. “But complexity does not mean impossibility”, added Mykhailo Fedorov.
On July 14, Mykhailo Fedorov was removed as head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, partly due to a conflict with Oleksandr Syrsky, who held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On July 16, protests against Fedorov’s resignation as Defense Minister began in Ukrainian cities.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
