Andriy Mahera: “Zelensky’s mandate from the Ukrainian people expires on 20 May”
20 May 2024 17:22
on 20 May 2024, when the constitutional 5-year term of office of the President of Ukraine expired, Zelenskyy’s mandate from the Ukrainian people ended. And now he should think not about his own rating, but about how to ensure the democratic process in the country in this situation. This is the opinion of Andriy Mahera, former deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The lawyer stressed that although the five-year term of Zelenskyy’s inauguration expires today, the principle of continuity of power applies in the context of martial law and the impossibility of holding elections, according to which President Zelenskyy’s powers will continue to be legitimate.
In addition to the inauguration of the next president, Magera argues that there are four grounds for early termination of the President of Ukraine’s powers
- resignation
- health condition;
- impeachment;
- death.
“It is important to remember that although Zelenskyy’s powers will remain legitimate after 20 May 2024, it is from this date that the five-year representative mandate directly from the Ukrainian people expires and the sixth year of his term of office actually begins, due to the full-scale war and martial law,”
– magera wrote on Facebook.
The former official believes that in this situation, Zelensky should not think about his own rating, but about the democratisation of a society at war.
“After 20 May 2024, Zelenskyy finds himself in a delicate situation where he will have to think not about his own rating (because he will inevitably lose the next election), but about consolidating the efforts of all healthy state-building forces in society through strengthening parliamentarism and rejecting authoritarian tendencies. It is high time that Bankova understood that small Russia (which they are trying hard to monkey with) will never defeat big Russia. Not to mention that the free world will not finance authoritarian fantasies in Ukraine,”
– magera believes.
For example, the expert noted, it is time for Ukraine to abandon the United News telethon and return to normal television.
The government, in his opinion, should be renewed and composed of professional nominees from different political forces.
Also, attempts to drive local self-government into the executive branch of government should be stopped, as this is inefficient and unconstitutional.
“Important decisions should not be delayed, because the further inevitable loss of public support for the President, multiplied by the expiration of the five-year representative mandate of the current head of state, could lead to obviously threatening challenges to the existence of our state as such. So far, there is time for this. But time is not eternal,”
– summed up Andriy Mahera.
According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the President is elected for a 5-year term. Volodymyr Zelenskyy became President of Ukraine on 20 May 2019, meaning that his constitutional term of office expires on 20 May 2024. The next presidential election, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, should have been held on the last Sunday of March of the fifth year of the president’s term, i.e. 31 March 2024.
Contrary to popular belief, the Constitution of Ukraine states that only parliamentary elections cannot be held during martial law. Any elections during martial law are prohibited by the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law”. Currently, the President of Ukraine has extended martial law until 11 August 2024.
