The early parliamentary election campaign will start in Ukraine on the day after the relevant presidential order's publishing, Ukrainian Central Elections Commission Chairperson Tetiana Slipachuk said.
"The Ukrainian president's order of May 21, 2019, regarding the Verkhovna Rada's dissolution and the early parliamentary elections was published today, May 23, 2019, in accordance with the Law on the Verkhovna Rada Elections," Slipachuk said at a press briefing dedicated to the early parliamentary elections.
"The campaign starts the day after publishing, i.e., on May 24, 2019, and there is no need for additional decisions of the Central Elections Commission in order to begin it," Interfax cited her as saying.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decree on the dissolution of Verkhovna Rada and holding the snap parliamentary elections on July 21 has been published in the Uryadovy Kuryer government newspaper today, which means that the document has officially come into force.
Zelensky signed the decree dissolving the Ukrainian Parliament and announcing the snap elections the next day after his inauguration - on May 21. The head of state pointed to the lack of a ruling parliamentary coalition lasting more than 30 days as the reason for dissolving Rada, citing the corresponding articles of the constitution.
The deputy dean of the Faculty of Global Economics and International Affairs of the Higher School of Economics of the National Research University, Andrei Suzdaltsev, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that almost all current political forces may stand against Zelensky in this election. There will be Poroshenko’s bloc and the Voice party will grow. The Servant of the People party plans to unite with Tymoshenko, but this is the only politician ready for an alliance with Zelensky. The Rada failed the vote on the new draft electoral law, which means the elections will be held according to the old scheme, with the preservation of the majority system, which is unprofitable for Zelensky," he said.
“The fact is that Zelensky’s rating is of protest nature, and the majority system of parliamentary elections will suppress his advantage,” the expert said.
"In general, it turns out that Zelensky needs to work with this Rada to achieve what he wants, but he refused to do this, disbanding parliament in the first minute. Meanwhile, it is impossible to pass a law repealing the majority system without the Rada's support. Zelensky needs such a system since out of his team only he has a strong personal rating," Andrei Suzdaltsev noted.
No change in attitude towards Russia will be brought by a new Rada. “Only the referendum proposed by the Zelensky administration regarding dialogue and negotiations with Russia could make a difference. It would be an interesting option, and that's why Poroshenkov team opposed it, as they perfectly understand how the people will vote - not for the war, but for peace. Therefore, the former authorities are trying to declare that Zelensky will parasitize on this result of the referendum and use it in their goals," the deputy dean of the Faculty of Global Economics and International Affairs of the Higher School of Economics of the National Research University concluded.
