October 02, 2023, 00:22
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) President and CEO Tony Banbury said the headline of an article in The Washington Post, “Western officials push for Ukraine elections despite war,” created the misconception that Ukraine’s Western partners believe the elections must take place during the war, and they are putting pressure on the Ukrainian authorities to organize them.
“This is not true. While some politicians in the United States and Europe have advocated holding elections during the war, Ukraine’s partners have generally been more restrained, and with good reason,” Banbury wrote in a column for The Washington Post.
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According to him, in order for elections to be free and fair and contribute to the democratic development of the country, a number of conditions must be met that cannot be achieved in a country that is at war. These are freedom of association, movement, equal participation and other fundamental freedoms. Other necessary conditions include: security, logistics, ensuring the opportunity to vote for Ukrainians fighting on the front line or displaced as a result of the war.
“IFES is a strong supporter of elections and democracy in Ukraine. We will work closely with our Ukrainian partners, including the Central Election Commission, to prepare for elections when the necessary conditions are met. Insisting on holding elections before then will weaken Ukrainian democracy rather than strengthen it. Ukrainians understand this, as do Ukraine’s international partners,” noted the President of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, saying that “Ukraine is now our largest project.”
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Earlier, experts from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Peter Erben and Gio Kobakhidze, noted that martial law and free elections are incompatible.
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