Czechia is ready to help Ukraine hold parliamentary and presidential elections in 2024 after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that they would need help from Western allies, Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake told EURACTIV.cz.
“The organisation of elections in the conditions of Russia’s war aggression against Ukraine is governed by Ukrainian law and, however complicated it may be, we believe that it will be possible to organise them next year,” Drake told EURACTIV.cz.
“The Czech Republic is ready to support Ukraine in this regard, but the exact form of this assistance can only be discussed on the basis of a specific request from the Ukrainian side,” Drake said, adding that the country has not yet received any specific requests.
Zelenskyy recently said that voting could take place during wartime, but Ukraine needs to change laws and get partners from the EU and NATO on board when it comes to sharing election costs.
Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan confirmed the country’s readiness to provide help, adding that the requirements put forth by Ukraine will shape the specifics of Czech assistance.
However, EU Commission spokesman Peter Stano told EURACTIV.cz that Ukraine has not yet contacted the institution on the matter.
“In general, the organisation of elections is a matter for the country where they are held. If Ukraine approaches the EU with a specific request, the EU will deal with it seriously,” Stano said.
According to Daniel Kerekes, an electoral expert for Denník N, potential elections in the occupied territories could be particularly challenging. In addition, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced and dispersed across Europe. However, Kerekes sees elections in 2024 as a realistic scenario.
“Ukraine already has some experience of this. With the help of the EU and the US, it can be done. It will be challenging, it will have many flaws, but it is realistic,” Kerekes said, warning that if the war lasts long and elections are not held, Zelenskyy and his government will rapidly lose legitimacy.
(Dávid Pásztor, Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
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Source: euractiv.com
