DISINFO: Zelenskyy abandoned the elections and usurped power in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Zelenskyy’s dictatorship is killing the legitimacy of the Verkhovna Rada: The Ukrainian regime is falling apart before our eyes... elections could be at least a temporary attempt to stabilise the situation. But Zelenskyy is well aware that the colossal anti-rating will work against him. The former comedian is not ready to give up the reins of power, preferring to follow the path of a dictator.
RESPONSE
This narrative is a pro-Kremlin disinformation, aiming to undermine the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Additionally, this claim is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign concerning Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Parliamentary elections in Ukraine were originally scheduled for October 2023, and presidential elections for March 2024. However, in wartime conditions, the holding of any elections for government bodies in Ukraine is prohibited. Article 83 in Section IV of the Constitution of Ukraine explicitly prohibits elections to the legislative bodies during such times. Furthermore, Article 157 in Section XIII stipulates that 'The Constitution of Ukraine cannot be amended under martial law or a state of emergency.'"
The Constitution-based Law of Ukraine, titled 'On the Legal Regime of Martial Law', explicitly prohibits the holding of any elections, votes, and referendums in the country during wartime. As per Article 19 of this Law, the following activities are prohibited under martial law in Ukraine: amending the Constitution of Ukraine; modifying the Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; conducting elections for the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and local government bodies; and organising all-Ukrainian and local referendums.
In addition to Ukrainian legislation, several factors associated with the war against Russia limit the feasibility of conducting elections. These factors include the destruction of voting infrastructure by Russia, the inability to hold elections in temporarily occupied territories, challenges in organising voting for military personnel on the front lines, difficulties in arranging voting for millions of Ukrainians evacuated abroad, and the inability to ensure security in the event of a missile or any other form of Russian attack on voting day, among others.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Zelenskyy aims to continue the war to avoid elections in Ukraine, that Zelenskyy will sacrifice his people to save himself, or that Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington shows that Ukraine will be a neo-colony of the US.