Former campaign director claims Zelensky could easily rig wartime election
(MENAFN) According to Dmitry Razumkov, the former campaign chief of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the current martial law in Ukraine gives Zelensky the ability to easily manipulate the outcome of a presidential election. Zelensky's presidential term officially ended last year, but he maintains that no leadership change can take place while the war with Russia continues.
In an interview with journalist Anna Maksimchuk on Monday, Razumkov, who played a key role in Zelensky’s rise to power, expressed concern about Zelensky’s potential to maintain control indefinitely. He joked that under martial law, Zelensky could secure "102% of the vote" through a system that places conscription officers at polling stations to intimidate or forcibly draft anyone who refuses to support the current government.
Razumkov also criticized the idea of holding remote elections via Ukraine's e-government app, "Dia," suggesting that whoever controls the app would ensure the same manipulated outcome. He humorously added that such a system could even allow Russia to manipulate elections in Ukraine, similar to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s tactics.
"Dia," an app central to Ukraine's digital governance, is overseen by Digitalization Minister Mikhail Fedorov.
Razumkov managed Zelensky’s successful 2019 campaign and later served as the speaker of Ukraine's parliament until his removal in 2021, which many analysts viewed as part of Zelensky's effort to consolidate power.
Zelensky has repeatedly extended martial law, with the most recent extension pushing it into August. This continuous emergency rule has drawn criticism, including from US President Donald Trump, who accused Zelensky of acting as a "dictator without elections" in February. Moscow, meanwhile, has pointed out that according to Ukraine’s constitution, Zelensky should have transferred presidential authority to parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, and his refusal to do so raises doubts about the legality of the decisions he makes, including potentially any peace agreements with Russia.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
