Ex-defence minister Fedorov calls for elections: democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia

Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for measures to ensure that Russia does not get to decide when Ukrainians can once again elect their government.

Source: Fedorov in an address on YouTube on 18 August

Quote: "We need to answer a fundamental question: how should the state function if the war goes on for years?

And the next question is – what if the war goes on for another year? Two? Three?

Can Russia effectively be given the right to decide when Ukrainians can once again elect their government?

I am convinced that it cannot. Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia."

Details: Fedorov argued that Ukraine must find a lawful, safe and realistic mechanism that would enable a full democratic process to be restored even if the war drags on.

Quote: "It is difficult. We need to ensure that service members, millions of Ukrainians abroad and people in frontline areas have the right to vote. We need to guarantee the security of the electoral process, the independence of institutions, and trust in the result.

But difficult doesn't mean impossible. Ukraine has done many things that the world thought were impossible."

Details: Fedorov said that it is "particularly dangerous when society begins to sense that the main criterion for someone's appointment is not their professionalism, the results they achieve or their ability to change the country, but their personal loyalty to the system".

Quote: "A modern state can't function like that. Especially not a country that's fighting for its survival.

We also need to talk about corruption. Not because it's a buzzword, but because in wartime, corruption takes on a completely different meaning."

Details: Fedorov also stressed that at a time when Russia is constantly changing its tactics as the war grinds on and critical decisions have to be made every day, Ukraine cannot afford to do without a properly appointed defence minister. "This is not how things should be," he added.

Background:

• On 18 August Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a nomination to parliament for Yevhenii Khmara to be appointed as defence minister and Andrii Sybiha as foreign minister.
• Protests in support of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov have been taking place in Ukraine for more than a month. Protesters marched through Kyiv on Sunday 16 August calling for Fedorov's reinstatement as defence minister and for the authorities to engage in dialogue with the public.

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