A Note on Ukrainian Elections
Countering Russian (and now American) propaganda.
One of the bleating grotesqueries coming from Trump is that Zelenskyy is behaving dictatorially because Ukraine did not have elections on schedule.
For example:
There is a mountain of lies in that tweet, but let’s focus on elections. Although, I can’t help but take a side note as to how horrible Trump is treating Zelinskyy and Ukraine. And I will note again: Russia invaded Ukraine. Blaming Ukraine for starting the war is an attempt at creating an alternative reality.
Foreign Policy explains: Wartime Elections in Ukraine Are Impossible.
Ukraine’s next elections for deputies of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) were originally scheduled to be held on Oct. 29, 2023. Campaigning was to begin 60 days prior, meaning that rules would have had to be finalized by next month for the candidates to prepare their campaigns on time. If not for the war, Zelensky’s turn at the ballot box would have come in March 2024.
These regularly scheduled elections were disrupted by the state of martial law declared in 2022, at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. This can be expected from a country fighting for its very existence, where significant portions of its territory are occupied. Martial law is established as a concept in the Ukrainian Constitution and last updated by the national legislature in 2015, before Zelensky entered politics.
Article 83 of the Ukrainian Constitution states that if the term of the Verkhovna Rada expires under martial law, it shall automatically be extended until a new Rada is seated following the end of martial law. Article 19 of Ukraine’s martial law legislation specifically forbids conducting national elections. Thus, for Ukraine to conduct elections while under martial law would be a violation of legal norms that predate Zelensky and the full-scale Russian invasion.
As a general matter, there is a real practical problem with holding an election during an active invasion, although it could be done. However, the legal/constitutional framework is clear and there is no violation taking place.
However, a piece from The Journal of Democracy notes the following.
Russia’s propaganda machine has been exploiting the idea that without elections Ukraine’s government is illegitimate. The head of the occupation authority in Crimea (annexed by Russia in 2014), for instance, started a campaign against Zelensky, calling his presidency “illegitimate” to discredit the Ukrainian government in the eyes of Crimeans. Similar narratives are being circulated widely online — mostly by Kremlin-linked troll farms.
So we see here Trump repeating Russian propaganda.
You know, as all American presidents do.
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I like how Trump refers to himself in the post as “TRUMP.” Why the scare quotes and caps?
@CSK: All caps and quotes are how he adds emphasis. In my life I have known many a person who does that, in spite of the best efforts of Mr. Eames, Mrs. Altona, and Mr. Aller.
Social media platforms and privileges ignorance, as far as I can tell.
All I know is that Trump can’t force Ukraine to stop fighting. And he can’t stop NATO from sending them stuff to fight with.
Meanwhile, Russia doesn’t have much stuff left.
I wouldn’t say the defeat of Ukraine is obviously imminent. I don’t know where this is going at all. Nothing is obvious.
Sorry, but that thought is blocked by another —- the thought of an American nepo-babyman, huckster, conman, serial predator, and cheesy reality TV host talking the United States of America into a second chance to pillage and destroy this country, even after having fumigated the White House of his pestilence and incompetence.
* No, actually the support of the last administration combined with that of Europe has brought Putin’s Russia to its knees and exposed its over-inflated image and abject decrepitude. The Russian army is currently having to resort to using Chinese manufactured “golf carts” and private citizens’ cars to deliver troops to front battle lines. It is not going well for them.
@Rob1: The Western world should’ve given Ukraine all the weapons and support they were asking for the early months after the attack on Kyiv, as many of us kept howling at Biden, Scholz, Macron, Johnson and the rest. Certainly after Ukraine proved itself good stewards, able to maximize the crumbs we did give. The dithering and wobbliness was very unhelpful. Of all the bs critiques of Biden offered by his immature haters, it’s funny they always miss this legitimate layup.
That Europe is still caught flat-footed three years hence is just another example of its collective fecklessness on defense issues. They’ve had three years to ramp up defense production, to prepare for the possibility that Putin’s puppet would return and abandon. What is the damn hold up? What is everyone waiting for? Russian tanks branded with Tesla’s Swasticar logo rolling into Tallin and Warszawa?
Zelenskyy is a giant among knaves and sellouts. With the worst of the bunch being we the American people, whose ignorance put Putin’s buttplug back into power (the perpetually self-absorbed, fake-tough Germans are a close second).
@DK: If Trump can stretch our limits, our norms and fancy himself a king, maybe we could draft Zelensky to be a candidate for the White House, since laws and precedence have been damned
@DK:
To be fair, the Poles, Swedes, Baltics, and French are moving on re-armament.
Pistorius has done some basic work in Germany, but Scholz still wants to coddle the sections of the German public that want to pull the bedclothes over their heads and ignore the cold light of dawn.
At least Rheinmetall is moving on its own account, but the German government still won’t guarantee orders. And also continues to resist EU level plans for increased deficit limits and/or defence bonds.
UK similar but diffrent: the public are largely onside, and some senior pols are talking the talk. But the Treasury remains as balky as it’s ever been about defence spending (see 1930’s) and the Treasury dominates government. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party remains fixated on tax cuts, and the Labour Party on “nice to have” public spending.
Both don’t mind talking about defence, but hate the painful practical consequences for their pet projects.
Also. across Europe, you need to factor in the c. 20% of electorates that are terminally grumpy about immigration and perceived economic lack, and willing to vote for hard-right parties, that combine nationalism with (for now) an inclination to tend pro-Russian pour epater la bourgeoisie