My colleagues and I at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) were happy to see coverage of the challenges to holding free and fair elections in Ukraine, as reported in the Sept. 25 news article “Western officials press for Ukraine elections despite war.” However, the headline creates the misperception that Western partners of Ukraine believe elections should be held during the war and are pressing the Ukrainian government to organize them. That is incorrect. Though some politicians in the United States and Europe have advocated for elections during the war, Ukraine’s partners have generally been more reserved, and with good reason.
IFES has been supporting free and fair elections in more than 140 countries since 1987, and Ukraine is now our largest program. For elections to be free and fair, and to advance the democratic development of a country, a number of conditions must first be met. In Ukraine, some of these conditions relate to fundamental freedoms, including freedom of association, travel and equal participation; others relate to security, logistics, legal reform and ensuring that Ukrainians fighting on the front lines or displaced by the conflict have the ability to vote. In a Ukraine at war and under martial law, it is not possible to achieve all these conditions.
IFES is a staunch supporter of elections and democracy in Ukraine. We will work closely with our Ukrainian partners, including the Central Election Commission, to prepare for elections when the necessary conditions are met. Pressing for elections before then would weaken Ukrainian democracy rather than strengthen it. Ukrainians understand this, as do Ukraine’s international partners.
The writer is president and chief executive of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Read More: Opinion | Pressing for elections now would weaken Ukrainian democracy