Local elections, which were supposed to take place in Ukraine in October, will not happen - CEC

In Ukraine, according to legislation, local elections should have taken place on the last Sunday of October this year. However, due to martial law, they will not be held on the appointed date, UNN writes with reference to the Central Election Commission of Ukraine.

Details

If it weren't for the Russian aggression and the terrible war unleashed against Ukraine by the Russians, we would now be entering a period of preparation and organization of regular local elections, in particular, in accordance with the requirements of election legislation, local branches of political parties would be able to submit candidacies for the new composition of territorial election commissions. However, during martial law, no elections are organized or held, therefore, members of the TEC, whose composition was formed at the regular local elections on October 25, 2020, continue to exercise their powers until a new composition of the relevant territorial election commission is formed

The CEC reported that, according to election legislation, local elections in Ukraine are held simultaneously throughout our state on the last Sunday of October of the fifth year of the powers of local councils and heads. According to these laws, regular local elections should have taken place on the last Sunday of October this year. The date of such elections is set by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine no later than 90 days before the voting day.

However, as of now, martial law has been introduced in Ukraine due to the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. During its operation, no elections are organized or held. Therefore, the decision to appoint regular local elections was not made by the parliament.

In view of this, the Commission states the absence of grounds for submitting candidacies to the composition of regional, district, city, village, settlement territorial election commissions, as well as for the formation by the Central Election Commission, district, city territorial election commissions of a new composition of territorial election commissions of various levels, which prepare and conduct local elections in Ukraine

In addition, the Central Election Commission drew the attention of local organizations of political parties that the prerequisite for submitting proposals is the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of a decision on the appointment of regular local elections and the determination of their date.

Addition

Deputy Head of the Central Election Commission Serhiy Dubovyk explained that in order to hold local elections in Ukraine, it is necessary to amend the legislation on martial law.