Ukraine says it will hold early presidential elections even under the state of emergency in some regions.
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“From the legislative point of view, the results of the elections are determined irrespective of the number of polling stations or the number of electoral constituencies where the elections were conducted,” Andrei Magera, Ukraine’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) deputy chair, said on Saturday.
Magera claimed that the upcoming election is highly significant because its outcome will legitimize the Ukrainian authorities.
This comes as CEC chair Mikhail Okhendovsky had also stated a similar viewpoint earlier this month.
“It seems to me that there are no reasons to speak about a possible disruption of the elections except for two barely feasible possibilities - introduction of a state of emergency or a state of war,” Okhendovsky said, adding, “As for a state of emergency, I think our politicians will have enough wisdom not to take such a step during the electoral process.”
Early presidential elections are scheduled to be held on May 25 amid growing unrest in the country.
The Ukrainian crisis began last November when the country’s then president Viktor Yanukovych refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.
The refusal triggered months of unrest and clashes with the police, which finally led to the ouster of Yanukovych on February 23. He then travelled to Russia, where he was given sanctuary.
Ukraine has experienced a fresh wave of unrest since the Autonomous Republic of Crimea declared independence from Kiev on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which nearly 97 percent of the participants voted in favor of the move.
On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the documents officially making Crimea part of the Russian territory. He said the move was carried out based on the international law.
Following Crimea’s reunification with Russia, pro-Moscow protests gained momentum in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.
