---
title: "“Democracy Can’t Be Switched On in Pieces”: Expert Explains Why Elections in Zakarpattia Are Impossible"
description: "OPORA head Olga Ivazovska stated that separate local elections in Zakarpattia under martial law are legally impossible and politically dangerous. The expert called for focusing on preparing a unified framework for postwar nationwide elections."
date: 2026-09-17T07:52:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zakarpattia-elections-impossible-ivazovska-opora
tags: [ukraine, zakarpattia, local-elections, martial-law, voting-rights, opora]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “Democracy Can’t Be Switched On in Pieces”: Expert Explains Why Elections in Zakarpattia Are Impossible

![Expert in a business suit explains why elections in Zakarpattia are impossible during an interview](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/zakarpattia-vybory-nevozmozhny-ayvazovskaya-opora/zakarpattia-vybory-nevozmozhny-ayvazovskaya-opora-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Separate local elections in Zakarpattia under martial law are prohibited by Article 19 of the law on the legal regime of martial law
- Politically, such a step would be perceived as an attempt by the presidential office to “redistribute” influence in the region, rather than as a democratic experiment
- Practical barriers: outdated voter registers due to IDPs, frozen party competition, and the risk of missile strikes on the region
- The expert recommends focusing on preparing a unified legal framework for nationwide postwar elections

Olympia Ivazovska, head of the board of the civil network “OPORA,” in an interview with RBC-Ukraine for the project “Don’t Interrupt!” with Vladimir Kurenny, categorically rejected the idea of holding pilot or separate local elections in Zakarpattia. In her words, such a step under the current martial law is not only legally impossible but also politically self-destructive for the central authorities. The expert emphasized that an attempt to “surgically” reset power in a single region would instantly lose any electoral context and turn into a hard political confrontation.

### A political trap: why a “democratic experiment” will become a crisis

Ivazovska explained that any separate elections in Zakarpattia would be perceived by society and the political establishment not as a democratic experiment but as an attempt by the central authorities to “settle scores with local elites or test the administrative resource.” In a situation where the rest of the country is deprived of the ability to elect local authorities, scheduling a vote in only one region looks like political selectivity. This will inevitably lead to accusations against the presidential office of trying to “redistribute” influence in the region under the guise of security arguments. Such selectivity would also create a dangerous precedent of voter segregation and provoke outrage in other relatively calm rear regions, where citizens would ask why their right to vote is being undermined.

### Constitutional ban: a legal wall that cannot be bypassed

Beyond the political subtext, the idea runs into the fundamental norms of the Constitution of Ukraine and the Electoral Code. Under Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law,” the holding of elections for the President, the Verkhovna Rada, and local councils is directly prohibited under martial law. “We cannot switch democracy on or off in pieces in individual regions when a single legal regime of martial law is in force across the country,” Ivazovska emphasizes. “The right to vote must be universal and equal for all citizens, regardless of where exactly they are located.” Thus, even if there were political will to hold a vote in one region, the legal framework does not allow bypassing this ban without amending the legislation, which itself would require a decision by the Verkhovna Rada and, most likely, the President’s consent.

### Three practical barriers: registers, competition, and security

The expert identified three key practical obstacles that make holding elections in Zakarpattia unrealistic even if the legal restrictions were hypothetically lifted. First, outdated registers: due to the massive influx of internally displaced persons, the voter lists in the region do not in fact reflect reality, and millions of people would be left outside the electoral process. Zakarpattia remains one of the leaders in the number of registered IDPs, and without a large-scale update of the State Register of Voters, holding a vote based on outdated lists would entail massive violations of citizens’ rights. Second, frozen competition: a full-fledged electoral process is impossible when some potential candidates and party activists are serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and party organizations are operating in a limited mode. Third, the question of security: even the safest region during elections would become target number one for enemy missile strikes, drone attacks, and attempts at destabilization, making the very fact of holding a vote a trigger for escalation.

### The alternative: preparing for unified postwar elections

Ivazovska concluded that instead of dangerous regional experiments, the authorities should focus on preparing a unified legal framework for the first nationwide postwar elections. In her view, it is precisely systematic work on electoral legislation, updating the registers, and creating conditions for safe voting across the entire territory of the country that is the priority, rather than targeted “pilots” that carry more risk than benefit. Earlier, as RBC-Ukraine reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named the condition for holding elections in the country and explained why he is negative about this idea under current realities, pointing to the potential consequences for the entire state.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Electoral experiment cancelled: why it is impossible to hold separate local elections in Zakarpattia](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viborchiy-eksperiment-skasovuetsya-chomu-1789631268.html) - Прямое интервью Ольги Айвазовской для проекта «Не перебивайте!» с Владимиром Куренным. Содержит все ключевые тезисы: юридический запрет, политический анализ, три практических барьера, рекомендация по послевоенным выборам.
- [Ukraine rejects yet another idea to hold elections in the country](https://theotherukraine.info/2026/09/17/na-ukraine-otvergli-ocherednuyu-ideyu-provesti-vybory-v-strane/) - Вторичный источник, подтверждающий факт отвержения идеи проведения выборов. Согласован с основным источником по сути и хронологии.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why can’t elections be held only in Zakarpattia?
**A:** According to Olga Ivazovska, this is prohibited by Article 19 of the law on the legal regime of martial law, which does not allow the holding of local council elections under martial law. Moreover, such a step would be perceived as political selectivity and would provoke a crisis.

### Q: What does the expert propose instead of regional elections?
**A:** Ivazovska calls on the authorities to focus on preparing a unified legal framework for the first nationwide postwar elections, rather than conducting targeted experiments in individual regions.

### Q: What practical obstacles are preventing voting in Zakarpattia?
**A:** Three main ones: outdated voter registers due to the massive influx of IDPs, the impossibility of full-fledged party competition with some candidates mobilized, and the risk of the region becoming a target for missile strikes during elections.