As the TV channel indicated, there are more than 5.9 million Ukrainian refugees abroad due to the war (UN data), another 4.4 million Ukrainians are internally displaced persons. Because of this, updating and verifying voter lists will become a big problem.
The war of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation against Ukraine also seriously affected the electoral infrastructure. According to Dubovik, only 75% of polling stations are currently operating in Ukraine.
As the deputy head of the Central Election Commission noted, almost 1 million Ukrainians serve in the army, many of them on the front line. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine how they will be able to vote without a guarantee of a cessation of hostilities, Dubovik emphasized.
He argues that six months of preparation is needed to hold fair and free elections in accordance with international standards.
If the voting takes place earlier, “it will be impossible to fully guarantee compliance with all international standards,” a representative of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine concluded.
