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Comment by delfinom

3 days ago

Well Russia contends Zelensky isn't the legitimate head of state of Ukraine.

You think you are making a counter argument, but you just managed to be welcomed to the end of the thought process of this exercise as contending can be done by just about anyone. It reinforces a bad precedent.

You have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to contend that Zelensky is not the democratically legitimated head of state of Ukraine. For Maduro, it's much simpler: He lost the election, yet he remained in power.

  • Bookmark this comment because it’s going to be very relevant in a few years.

    • Ahh yes, the old “the president will declare martial law to remain in office” prediction. Didn’t happen when it was claimed by folks in 1992, 1999, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. It also won’t happen in 2028.

      You can bookmark my comment along with the one above.

      6 replies →

  • Zelensky has suspended elections since Russia invaded. He hasn't had a chance to be voted out, and probably will never get one.

    • The Ukrainian Constitution suspends elections in a State of Emergency. The State of Emergency is renewed regularly by the Ukrainian Parliament. The Ukrainian people are broadly supportive of Zelensky, who is publically open to holding elections if given the space and resources to do so. Which is a ceasefire, and some time and money.

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    • > Then, he suspended the next election

      No, he didn't do that personally. Ukraine's constitution mandates that elections not be held during times of martial law (i.e. war)

      Even if that wasn't a thing, do you think holding elections while bombs are going off is a good idea?

      4 replies →

    • > He won the election in the most corrupt country in Europe.

      He won by a landslide regardless of corruption (if there ever was one during those elections). Everyone was fed up with Poroshenko, and Zelensky was seen as a new wave, young politician who will bring change (on top of his popularity as a comedian).

      > he suspended the next election and no more elections have been celebrated ever since.

      By "he" you mean constitution of Ukraine?

    • > Then, he suspended the next election

      Zelensky did not suspend elections. Ukraine's constitution prohibits the holding of elections under conditions of martial law.

      "However, martial law—imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and still in place as the war continues—has prevented elections from taking place. Under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect to ensure continuity of governance and support the nation’s defense." [1]

      [1] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ukraines-presidential...

      3 replies →

    • > Then, he suspended the next election and no more elections have been celebrated ever since.

      Yes, but that may have something to do with the fact that his country was invaded and he has been at war ever since. Suspending elections for that reason is legitimate by "our" standards.

      3 replies →

    • As opposed to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Mother Russia, who won every single one of his extremely fair and properly done democratic elections with a landslide. 88.48 at his last democratic election! So beloved!