UNLA representatives joined the development of electoral legislation in the conditions of war

Oleksandr Chernykh, Vice President of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, together with representatives of the Board of Trustees of the Association Yana Tsymbalenko and Serhiy Lysenko, took part in the meeting of the working group of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dedicated to the development of legislation for holding elections in the conditions of a full-scale war.

Emphasizing the importance of resuming the electoral process as soon as possible as a basis for the democratic legitimacy of the government, Oleksandr Chernykh emphasized that the relevant legislation should be ad hoc in nature – specially adapted for one-time use in extraordinary conditions. The focus was on the fundamental principle of “no taxation without representation”: it is illegal to set any voting qualifications for more than 10 million Ukrainians abroad, and the requirement of additional certificates of residence outside the country may create preconditions for thousands of lawsuits, which will effectively paralyze the elections.

The need to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure voting in embassies and urgent inclusion in the Voter Register of young people who come of age abroad and are often not registered with the consulate was emphasized, as the state has no right to lose this generation.

It is important to note that during the discussion, other participants of the working group repeatedly made statements that clearly correlate with the officially published Security Manifesto of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association. This confirms that the UUL’s initiatives aimed at rebooting the government and protecting democratic values are becoming key guidelines for public policy. Thanks to the professional contribution of Oleksandr Chernykh, Yana Tsymbalenko and Serhiy Lysenko, the Association consistently promotes the full realization of citizens’ rights even in the most difficult times.