Journalist: <\/strong>“God willing, [if] we get peace, are you open to holding an election in your country?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It’s not the first time the Ukrainian president has been pressed on this.<\/p>\n Ukraine was supposed to hold presidential elections in March or April last year, but they were abandoned due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.<\/p>\n Volodymyr Zelenskyy says elections aren’t possible during a war. (Reuters: Alexander Drago)<\/p>\n Mr Zelenskyy responded that “of course” he was open to “democratic, open, legal” elections \u2014 but only once a truce with Russia had been reached.<\/p>\n “During the war, you can’t have elections,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Mr Trump responded by cracking a joke.<\/p>\n “So you say during the war, you can’t have elections,” he said.<\/p>\n “So let me just say, three and a half years from now, so you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.<\/p>\n “Oh, that’s good. I wonder what the fake news is going to say.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So, is it possible to hold an election during a war?<\/p>\n Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n Ukrainian electoral officials count ballots in 2019. (Reuters: Gleb Garanich)<\/p>\n Why hasn’t an election been held in Ukraine?<\/p>\n Ukrainian legislation prohibits presidential elections while martial law \u2014 the replacement of civil government with military rule \u2014 is in effect.<\/p>\n Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.<\/p>\n Moscow has been highly critical of Ukraine postponing its elections, repeatedly challenging the legitimacy of the Kyiv government and claiming Mr Zelenskyy is not a valid negotiating partner.<\/p>\n Vladimir Putin has suggested Ukraine should be temporarily placed under UN control. (Reuters: Sputnik\/Vyacheslav Prokofyev)<\/p>\n In March, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine should be temporarily placed under UN control<\/a> to elect a “viable” government.<\/p>\n A month prior, Mr Trump joined in, calling Mr Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections”.<\/p>\n The US president later abandoned this claim.<\/p>\n “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that. Next question,” he said to reporters.<\/p>\n Donald Trump has previously called Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections”. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)<\/p>\n Is it legal to hold elections during a war?<\/p>\n In many countries, the law explicitly forbids conducting elections during states of emergency such as wars, pandemics and significant natural disasters.<\/p>\n Generally, democratic guidelines support the “time-limited” postponement<\/a> of elections during emergencies that threaten human life and security.<\/p>\n Elections also shouldn’t be conducted if there is any risk to electoral integrity or democratic principles, <\/strong>experts said.<\/p>\n “[People] must be able to stand for election without impediment,” said Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at Australian National University.<\/p>\n “Elections must be conducted without fear of intimidation of both candidates and citizens.<\/p>\n “And the results of elections and the way in which ballots are counted must also be free and fair without any level of bias or any concerns about corruption.”<\/p>\n Experts say it’s difficult to hold elections during a war. (AP: Photo\/Evgeniy Maloletka)<\/p>\n Is it safe to hold elections during a war?<\/p>\n There can be significant barriers to conducting “safe and fair” elections during a war.<\/p>\n Many voters are displaced from their homes or facing daily threats to their security, plus it can be tough to access polling booths.<\/p>\n The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) says it can also be difficult to guarantee “democratic standards” during a war.<\/p>\n This includes media freedom, political competition and independent oversight.<\/p>\n In maps: The territories Putin wants and what it will mean for Ukraine <\/a><\/p>\n A decade ago, Donetsk was the metropolis of Ukraine’s east. Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly has it squarely in his sights.<\/p>\n Ukrainians are facing many of these challenges.<\/p>\n According to UNHCR, the conflict has caused “immense” civilian suffering in Ukraine<\/a>, as well as widespread destruction and one of the largest displacement crises in the world.<\/p>\n “It’s ultimately not safe to conduct elections,” Professor Rothwell said.<\/p>\n He says if Ukraine chose to hold a presidential election now, it could easily be disrupted by Russia \u2014 plus it would be extremely difficult for those in the Russian-occupied east<\/a> to cast their vote.<\/p>\n It would be like Australia holding an election after Tasmania had been invaded and seized, he said.<\/p>\n “Would Australia tolerate an election being held at the Commonwealth level without the good people of Tasmania being able to vote?” Professor Rothwell said.<\/p>\n A woman casts her vote during Ukraine’s 2019 parliamentary election. (Reuters: Konstantin Chernichkin)<\/p>\n Have other countries postponed elections during a war?<\/p>\n History shows that many countries have chosen to postpone elections during wartime.<\/p>\n For example, during World War II, both the United Kingdom and France postponed their 1940 general elections until 1945.<\/p>\n Israel has also postponed several elections in the past, including delaying its first parliamentary elections in 1948 by a year amid the Arab-Israeli war.<\/p>\n Winston Churchill lost the 1945 UK general election, which was postponed from 1940. (Kurt Hutton\/Picture Post\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images))<\/p>\n Have other countries held elections during a war?<\/p>\n It is rare for countries to hold elections during active conflict, but there are some exceptions.<\/p>\n The United States held elections during the War of 1812, the Civil War, and both world wars.<\/p>\n But these conflicts never directly threatened the existence of the state or led to a declaration of martial law, according to International IDEA.<\/p>\n Iraq’s 2005 elections also occurred despite ongoing conflict, as did Afghanistan’s in 2004 and 2009.<\/p>\n But the legitimacy of these elections has since been called into question due to widespread violence and voter intimidation<\/a> at the time, as well as low voter turnout and electoral fraud concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n Afghan women walk past a poster of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah in 2009. (Reuters: Asmaa Waguih)<\/p>\n What’s next?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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