Elizaveta Bogutskaya: Any elections during martial law are unconstitutional.
11 февраля 14:35
Holding elections or referendums during a full-scale war is not only dangerous, but also legally impossible. A democratic electoral process in conditions of constant shelling, occupation of part of the territory, and the absence of equal conditions for all citizens cannot be legitimate or recognized internationally. This was stated in an interview with the YouTube channel «Коммерсант Украинский» by Ukrainian MP Yelyzaveta Bohutskaya.
«I am categorically against it. I am categorically against anything — referendums, elections, any kind — whether it be for president, the Verkhovna Rada, local elections, and so on.
I am categorically against it because I believe that it is impossible to hold them democratically, and they will not be recognized as legitimate,» she said.
According to the MP, the problem lies in the absence of a full-fledged pre-election process, which is simply impossible to ensure in wartime.
«Putin says, ‘We won’t shoot on that day.’ Thank you, but no. We need there to be no shooting for at least six months before any kind of election process can begin,» she said.
Bogutskaya drew attention to the unequal conditions for participation in elections for different groups of citizens, in particular for the military, who are defending the country today.
«We must understand that there are military personnel who will want to participate in the elections. Because they have a keen sense of justice, and many of them may say: listen, we must restore order, we have the right to do so. And they will be within their rights. They have the right,» she said.
At the same time, according to the deputy, the participation in elections of those who have left the country, evaded mobilization, or work for Russian information resources calls into question the fairness of the electoral process.
«I cannot say that they do not have the right (to participate in the elections, ed.). But they have far fewer rights than the military,» she believes.
Separately, the MP emphasized the impossibility of holding elections in the occupied territories and the risk of Russia using this issue to further escalate the war.
«How can this happen in the occupied territories, for example, which Putin has included in his Constitution? That is, do we hold elections there? Or do we only hold them in the part that we control?
And will Putin agree to this? No. He will say that you held illegal elections in a territory that is included in the Constitution of the Russian Federation,» she noted.
At the same time, the deputy does not reject the idea of electronic voting in the future, but emphasizes that it cannot be implemented now under martial law.
«Therefore, any election during martial law is unconstitutional. It is impossible to talk about any mechanism that we can develop.
In order to develop a mechanism, martial law must be lifted. But we cannot lift it because the war has not ended,» she said.
According to Bogutskaya, all talk of preparing for elections during the war should be seen more as part of the negotiation process than as a real intention to hold them.
