Legal information on the impossibility of holding elections under conditions of martial law – Civil Network OPORA
With the approach of constitutionally established period for scheduling the parliamentary and presidential elections, the debate on the possibility of conduct of elections under conditions of martial law is heating up both in Ukraine and among our international partners. Civil network OPORA and more than 200 other NGOs have already taken a stand against the proposal […]
Statement: Ukrainian Civil Society is Against Holding Elections During War
Elections and full-scale war are incompatible. Holding elections during a full-scale war is extremely dangerous. It can lead to the loss of legitimacy for both the electoral process and elected bodies, potentially undermining the state as a whole. During a full-scale war, a state cannot guarantee an environment where electoral process participants can freely and […]
How Russia prepares for pseudo-elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine
Russia plans to hold so-called “elections” to the “legislative bodies” (in other words, occupation governments) in the occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as well as in 79 municipal districts this coming fall. The Kremlin’s decision-makers seek to legalize the annexation of Ukrainian territory with the help of so-called “elections”, so they […]
Challenges of pre-election campaigning in the first post-war elections
Enabling Ukrainian immigrants to vote abroad is a significant concern in post-war elections. There are 8.5 million forcibly displaced Ukrainians registered in European countries, with more living abroad. Facilitating the election process abroad poses challenges, such as maintaining accurate voter lists and limited campaigning methods. Messaging apps and social media are crucial for reaching Ukrainians […]
European electoral management bodies and experts call for support to Ukraine over voting rights for war-displaced voters in post-war elections
The European Union, Member States and election bodies need to explore the possibilities to provide support for Ukraine to ensure millions of displaced voters from the Russian aggression can vote in postwar, according to a dialogue of European lawmakers, election management bodies and experts. This was the major recommendation of a Parliamentary Electoral Dialogue hosted by the […]
The majority of Ukrainian immigrants in Poland would like to participate in the next elections – OPORA
Ukrainian EPDE member OPORA conducted a survey among Ukrainian immigrants in Poland. Most participants of in-depth interviews emphasized that after moving to Poland, their positive attitude to Ukraine has not changed or even has grown. Participants were asked to rate their level of commitment on a 10-point scale. The indicator of commitment to Ukraine is […]
Pseudo-referendums in the invaded territories of Ukraine: what Russia plans to do and how to disable them
Russia is preparing to hold pseudo-referendums on Ukrainian territories. The results of these false referendums will create “legal grounds” for Russia to annex Ukrainian territories and demand that the world recognize the annexation or, at last, accept it, also possibly by resorting to nuclear blackmail. The results of the “vote” will be null and void […]
Open Election Data & Disinformation Academy
The Civil Network OPORA, with support from the National Democratic Institute, is pleased to announce a call for participation in a four-day training program within the ‘Open Election Data & Disinformation’ Academy! The Academy will take place in Warsaw from August 1-4. Deadline: July 6, 2022 The program is tailored for citizen election observation leaders […]
Pseudo-referenda or incorporation into occupied Crimea
The Russian invaders have not been consistent so far in their approach to governing the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv Oblasts. In some places, L/DPR militants ‘appoint’ unknown persons to nonexistent offices, in others, there are talks of holding a pseudo-referendum, and PR campaigns are run elsewhere to […]
War against Ukraine – Statements by EPDE Members
Democracy defenders across Europe have been shocked by Russia’s attack on democratic and independent Ukraine. Within the EPDE, members have issued statements of solidarity and support for our Ukrainian colleagues. We have collected some of these here. We, the undersigned civil society organizations from Georgia and Ukraine, believe that Russia’s ongoing military invasion of Ukraine […]