Arakhamia explains why referendum may be held alongside presidential elections

The Head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction David Arakhamia stated this at a joint briefing with Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk following talks with national security advisers who gathered in Kyiv today, Ukrinform reports.

"According to the law, for a nationwide referendum to be recognized as legitimate, at least 50% of voters must participate. Before the war, the voter registry included 36 million people. That means 18 million must come to the referendum. Today, this is an unattainable figure because we have lost territories and 7 million people are abroad," Arakhamia explained.

According to him, one way to encourage citizens to vote is to hold the referendum at the same time as the presidential elections.

"Presidential elections are usually the largest electoral event in the country, with over 10 million people participating. By combining presidential elections with the referendum, there is hope that as many people as possible will take part, both in Ukraine and abroad. Then we will have a representative result," Arakhamia said.

As previously reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if the ratification of a peace agreement between Ukraine, the U.S., Russia, and Europe requires a nationwide referendum, the presidential elections in Ukraine could be held at the same time.

Photo: Facebook/Ruslan Stefanchuk