According to recent reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with the BBC that if martial law is still in effect, there will be no presidential election in Ukraine in 2024.
This suggests that Zelensky's term could be extended indefinitely if the ongoing war is not resolved by then. He made similar remarks regarding the parliamentary elections scheduled for October this year in an interview with The Washington Post last month.
Zelensky clarified that the Ukrainian constitution prohibits holding elections during martial law, and therefore, if martial law is still in place, the parliamentary elections cannot take place.
However, he expressed hope in a recent interview that peace would be achieved in Ukraine by the following year and normalcy would be restored.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, also affirmed this month that elections cannot be held under martial law, which was declared by Zelensky during the Russian invasion.
Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of avoiding elections during martial law to prevent any potential harm to the unity of the state, which the enemy may exploit.
He suggested that the most prudent decision would be to hold elections immediately after the martial law period concludes.
It should be noted that after declaring martial law, President Zelensky took measures to consolidate his authority, such as banning the main opposition party in Ukraine's parliament, Opposition Platform — For Life, along with ten other opposition parties, and nationalizing certain media outlets.
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