Ukraine’s Western allies divided on push to hold elections in wartime

In wartime, ensuring fair and credible electronic voting is virtually impossible.

I have heard talk of holding elections in Ukraine even before the end of the war on Ukrainian airwaves more than once. They said that the West was pushing us to do so. I contacted experts, MPs, and officials from the Eastern Partnership countries to determine their opinions on this issue.

It was refreshing for me to hear the answer that there is no pressure from our Western partners. On the contrary, our allies clearly state that it is impossible to talk about elections in Ukraine while the war is ongoing. Under these conditions, the basic principle of democratic voting will not be observed. Not all parties can campaign; therefore, voters will not see the programs they need to analyze and make a decision. Many people will not be able to vote at all, as, according to various sources, 6-8 million Ukrainians live abroad.

I want to emphasize again that there is no Western pressure to hold elections in Ukraine during the war. Moreover, Brussels has noticed an information campaign that the European Union allegedly promotes the idea of holding elections in Ukraine. In mid-September, a meeting was held in Brussels with the participation of high-ranking Ukrainian representatives on the issue of elections. Participants in that meeting told me that the EU representatives were slightly outraged that this was being attributed to the European Union.

During my conversation with former Estonian President Toomas Ilves, he noted that during World War II, no country held elections. There is no Western pressure in this. Toomas Ilves is the father of digitalization in Estonia. The government has been using electronic voting for almost 20 years, and Ilves was involved in its implementation. Since this type of voting is now being discussed, we need to hear what the former president of Estonia has to say about it. He warns that there will be no trust in such voting in Ukraine. This is the most essential aspect of holding elections. Despite the long experience of electronic voting in Estonia, only about 20% of voters vote this way. People are worried that the system will log their votes. That is, there is not complete confidence in this procedure there either. What can we say about Ukraine, where the voting mechanism will be introduced during the war?

Moreover, the enemy's goal will be to disrupt the electoral process. Therefore, the possibility of holding elections with electronic voting in Ukraine is a liability. Attempts to convince Ukrainian society that we can vote through Diia during the war are a road to nowhere. Neither Ukrainians nor our European partners will have confidence in the results of such elections.

In Brussels, high-level diplomats tried to probe the idea of holding elections during the war. They wanted to see how their partners would react, but they received a very clear and negative response. Therefore, the intention to hold elections will likely come from internal Ukrainian sources. In this case, I am sure that it is Bankova Street [Ukrainian president’s office], because it greatly influences the information space.

This idea will lead to nothing, because even an attempt to start talking seriously about early elections will cause an adverse reaction and rejection by Ukrainian society. One hundred civic organizations, including the Center for Joint Action, have already signed a statement against holding elections during the war. They state that elections and a full-scale war are incompatible, and they justify the risks of holding them. Our partners will also be against it. In particular, the EU, which we actively seek membership in. In wartime, ensuring fair and credible electronic voting is virtually impossible. We should consider its introduction, as well as any elections in general, after the war is over.

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine