Global Courant 2023-05-19 17:18:21
On May 18, the Russian State Duma approved in its third and final reading a draft law allowing elections to be held under martial law.
The document will allow Moscow to hold parliamentary and local elections in Ukrainian territories controlled by it.
In October 2022, Moscow announced the annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Kherson regions. From the point of view of Russian legislation, these regions belong to Russia.
Kiev and the international community do not recognize Russia’s claims on these territories.
However, by the decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, a state of war has been declared in all these regions and martial law is applied.
Currently, according to Russian military law, in the regions where such a regime has been introduced, referendums, elections for state authorities and local governments do not take place.
But at the same time, the laws on the admission of new subjects in Russia state that elections must be held in these regions in the fall of 2023.
Under the package of laws approved on May 18, the bill, which must be approved by parliament’s upper house, the Federation Council, and signed by Putin to take effect, allows for elections during martial law with the approval of the authorities of defense and security. Usually these procedures are formal./REL
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