The first Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Korniienko, made this statement, as reported by RBK-Ukraine, referring to his interview with the "Ukrinform" publication. This information is also reported by Kontrakty.UA.
"It is not entirely clear what to do regarding the fact that the term of local self-government bodies will soon expire. It is clearly stated in the Constitution – 5 years. Therefore, in December 2025, most heads of communities and deputies will end their mandates. Some minor legislative adjustments are needed so that they can remain in office if martial law is extended and elections cannot be held at the end of 2025," Korniienko explained.
He believes that minor issues concerning local elections can be resolved this year. At the same time, he noted that even local elections should not be held during wartime.
When asked about potential pressure from Western partners regarding presidential and parliamentary elections, the first Deputy Speaker mentioned that currently, no demands are being made of Ukraine. Korniienko also emphasized that this topic raises many questions, and the Ukrainian side is continuously providing clarifications based on current legislation.
"Because the Constitution, the law on martial law, and the Electoral Code clearly regulate the issues of presidential and parliamentary elections and, accordingly, the legitimacy of these institutions and their representatives. We are aware of public opinion on this matter, and we know that society does not support this idea (of holding elections – ed.)," he stated.
Korniienko stressed that those advising to hold elections need to come to Ukraine and live under "Shaheds" for a week, experiencing multiple air raid alerts and constant shelling in major cities.
"In such conditions, there is simply no basis to talk about any democratic campaign," Korniienko emphasized.
The first Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada reported that the issue of conducting elections during the post-war period was raised during his visit to Germany. During this visit, he participated in a conference dedicated to Ukraine's euro-integration and held several meetings.
"Colleagues, representatives of the CEC, and civil society voiced a huge array of challenges in Berlin. Of course, we in parliament are also aware of all these challenges and will be ready as soon as the security situation allows. But we understand that any electoral processes must wait until the war ends, and there must be a just peace for Ukraine. Only then can we proceed to planning and conducting all the elections that have unfortunately been missed," Korniienko concluded.