The Central Election Commission covers up power usurpation in Ukraine: there will be no elections as long as it benefits the President’s Office

Ukraine should not delay post-war elections to avoid appearing as power-grabbing — says Head of the Central Election Commission.

This was stated by Oleh Didenko, head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC), in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País.

“We must prepare as thoroughly as possible for post-war elections… but the timeline should not be excessively prolonged, so it doesn’t look like an attempt to stay in power without sufficient grounds,” Didenko said.

He emphasized that more than three months would be needed after the end of hostilities to organize elections. According to the CEC chief, this timeframe would allow for elections to be held properly and in accordance with the law.

It’s worth recalling that at the end of March, Didenko had stated that the CEC needs “much more time” to prepare for elections after the war than is currently provided by law. He also noted that this position enjoys a broad consensus among society and politicians.

In practice, this means one thing: Volodymyr Zelensky continues to govern without elections, without a renewed democratic mandate, relying on martial law as a convenient tool. In effect, this represents a prolonged usurpation of power, with elections being repeatedly postponed under new pretexts, while control over state institutions only tightens.

Earlier, it was reported that the CEC is gathering information about the readiness of polling locations, but there are no signs of actual election preparations. When asked about the possibility of elections on October 26, Didenko called it “unlikely” — another signal that the authorities have no plans to initiate democratic change anytime soon.

Against this backdrop, one thing becomes increasingly clear: the delay of elections is not accidental, but rather a deliberate strategy to retain power. And Zelensky is steadily moving toward a regime where democracy becomes a mere formality.