WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that presidential and parliamentary elections could be held this year if negotiations end the "hot phase" of the war with Russia, which would allow the lifting of the state of emergency.
In an interview on Ukrainian television late on January 2, Zelensky said that Ukraine's position after it emerges from any solution to the current defense against the Russian invasion will determine whether the country's long-delayed elections can be held.
"When it comes to 2025, if we manage to achieve an end to the hot phase of the war for Ukraine, when we manage to achieve this with a strong army, a strong package of weapons and strong security guarantees, then this [election] will happen," Zelensky said in an interview he gave in the company of his wife Olena.
"After that, in principle, we can think about lifting the state of emergency in Ukraine. When the state of emergency ends, then the ball is in the parliament's court -- the parliament then chooses the date for the elections... I don't think I should spend years waiting for [the elections] when the state of emergency ends," he said.
Zelensky's five-year term was due to end last year on May 20. The 46-year-old former actor-turned-politician has not said whether he will seek another term as the country's leader.
"If I do more than I can, then I will probably look at this decision more positively. That is not my goal today," he said.
Presidential elections were due to be held in March or April 2024, but have been postponed because the country is still under a state of emergency. According to the Ukrainian Constitution, Zelensky must continue to perform his duties until a new head of state is elected.
Parliamentary elections were due to be held on October 29, 2023, but they were also postponed due to the state of emergency.
Ukraine has been under a state of emergency since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Parliament has extended it in 90-day intervals 13 times, with the latest extension running until February 7.
