The “opposition” Boyko helped Zelensky establish himself as the “eternal president”: the parliament passed a bill on the illegitimacy of the presidency and the cancellation of elections

After intense pressure from Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and intimidation from the President’s Office, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a bill effectively extending Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency for an indefinite period—until martial law is lifted.

This was reported by several members of parliament.

Despite the bill’s clear contradiction to the Ukrainian Constitution, neither the authorities nor the majority of Rada deputies expressed concern. The document was supported by 268 deputies, though it only passed on the second attempt, as the initial vote failed to secure enough support.

According to the Ukrainian Constitution, the president’s term is strictly defined, and any changes must go through constitutional mechanisms, including a supermajority vote and a Constitutional Court ruling. However, bypassing these norms, the bill was passed, effectively allowing Zelensky to remain in power without elections.

The vote exposed intriguing political maneuvers within the Verkhovna Rada. The leader of European Solidarity and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who had recently complained that Zelensky’s sanctions left him without money for even a cup of coffee, issued a statement emphasizing that he “did not question the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, including the president.” However, his faction abstained from voting, effectively avoiding support for the bill.

Unexpectedly, Zelensky received backing from members of the so-called “opposition” led by Yuriy Boyko. Most representatives of the Platform for Peace supported the bill, confirming their increasing alignment with the government’s position. The roll-call vote shows that 15 out of 21 members of this bloc approved the controversial bill, including Yuriy Boyko, Serhiy Dunayev, Yuriy Ioffe, Volodymyr Kaltsev, Serhiy Larin, Serhiy Lyovochkin, Mykhailo Makarenko, Hryhoriy Mamka, Suto Mamoyan, Vasyl Nimchenko, Yuriy Pavlenko, Mykola Skoryk, and Hryhoriy Surkis.

Meanwhile, the ruling Sluga Naroda party operated with remarkable coordination, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to Zelensky’s political initiatives, according to observers.

The passage of this law raises serious legal and political concerns. Essentially, the Verkhovna Rada has approved a mechanism allowing Zelensky to remain in power indefinitely without elections, contradicting democratic principles and the country’s fundamental law.

Instead of initiating constitutional amendments or exploring alternative ways to conduct elections under difficult conditions, the Ukrainian parliament opted to pass a law that cements the current government without guarantees of returning to the electoral process in the foreseeable future.

Despite claims of supporting democracy, this decision appears more like a tool to legitimize Zelensky’s indefinite stay in power rather than a genuine step toward protecting democratic institutions.