One of Ukraine’s first expert roundtables dedicated to developing a roadmap for safe voting in the postwar period took place at the UKRINFORM News Agency. The event was organized jointly by the Diplomatic Legal Hub (Diplomatic Legal Hub) and the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine (National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine), with the participation of parliamentarians, representatives of the military, and other civil society representatives. Participants focused on discussing key security, legal, and organizational aspects of holding elections and a possible referendum in Ukraine after the end of the active phase of the war—specifically, the conditions, costs, legislative changes, and mechanisms for ensuring the security of the electoral process.
Members of the Diplomatic and Legal Hub’s board—Ilona Kaminska, Oleksandr Oliinyk, Inna Silantyeva, and Olga Tanyushkina—as well as representatives of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine: Oleksiy Shevchuk, Vitaliya Globa, Iryna Shapovalova, Yana Tsymbalenko, Ivan Fursenko, and Denys Svyatokum. Members of the Ukrainian Parliament Nelly Yakovleva, Oleksandr Kachura, and Oleksandr Fedienko also joined the discussion.
Following the meeting, the lobbying community announced its readiness to take responsibility for drafting the basic version of the Voter Security Manifesto — a document intended to articulate civil society’s core principles regarding changes to electoral legislation aimed at ensuring a safe and legitimate expression of the will of the people in postwar Ukraine. The “Voter Security Manifesto” will serve as a roadmap for restoring the democratic process once the active phase of the war has ended.
The “Voter Safety Manifesto” will consist of 10 key points designed to ensure that democratic, transparent, and legitimate elections are held only if the safety of voters and fair voting results are guaranteed. Within the scope of this task, the discussion focused on the following key areas:
* the conditions under which elections and a referendum could be held,
* real security risks to citizens and the state,
* amendments to legislation and legal mechanisms,
* aligning international standards with the realities of war in Ukraine.
Participants emphasized that issues related to electoral legislation require systematic refinement to ensure legal certainty and prepare for the resumption of a fully-fledged democratic process after the state of emergency ends. In their view, the organization of elections must comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and its interpretation by the Constitutional Court.
Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, partner, and spokesperson for Barristers Law Firm, stressed that security is not an alternative to democracy but rather a prerequisite for it; therefore, preparing systemic amendments to legislation will be the organization’s top priority for the coming quarter.
The Diplomatic Legal Hub and the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine plan to hold expert meetings on a regular basis to develop constructive recommendations for parliament. The recommendations will be formulated taking into account the views of experts and civil society and are intended to ensure the development of security mechanisms that will allow for democratic, transparent, and legitimate elections only if the safety of citizens, the protection of personal data, and the integrity of the voting results are guaranteed.
