Ex-defence minister Fedorov's team stresses importance of preparing for elections and presents ideas on how to hold them safely – UP sources

Members of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov's team have said his call for elections does not mean he wants to "hold them tomorrow", but was intended to highlight the need to make thorough preparations and resolve all the issues related to the process in detail.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources close to Fedorov

Quote from a source: "Even if the full-scale war ends tomorrow, we will still face a transition period in which we will need to fundamentally resolve all these issues [related to elections – ed.]. Therefore, we need to address them now by modelling voting during wartime, with the Central Election Commission, the Constitutional Court, laws, a new electoral code and new polling stations. These things will have to be done whatever the scenario."

Details: Fedorov's team has come up with proposals on how safe voting could be ensured for Ukrainians.

Special polling stations could be set up for military personnel on the front line. However, most military personnel would be able to vote at ordinary polling stations, as they are stationed in or near large frontline cities.

Ukrainian civilians in frontline regions could vote at establishments that are already open such as underground schools, kindergartens and some higher education institutions, Fedorov's team believes. For Ukrainians abroad, online registration could be made available in advance, which could facilitate the organisation of voting.

Fedorov's team is also discussing the idea of holding the vote over a longer period of time than a single day to reduce the likelihood of overcrowding at polling stations.

Regarding which elections should be held first – presidential or parliamentary – Fedorov's team does not yet have a final position.

Background:

• In an address on 18 August, Fedorov called for measures to ensure that Russia does not get to decide when Ukrainians can once again elect their government.
• Sources told the BBC that the President's Office believes Fedorov's idea of holding elections demonstrates a "lack of realism".

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