Sawt Falasteen - Zelensky rejects wartime elections, says would 'split' Ukraine

Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure still widely supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting off the Russian invasion launched in 2022.

"I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections right now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine," Zelensky said.

"If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war," added the 48-year-old, who became president in 2019.

He made the comments Saturday in a briefing with journalists including AFP, the first in months amid several political crises.

The latest upheaval saw thousands of people take to the streets after Zelensky fired popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

The ousted Fedorov this week made a surprise call to find a way to organise elections -- but without offering a roadmap, and prompting even some of his supporters to distance themselves from him.

Experts have cited a flurry of obstacles to elections, including how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and people from occupied territories would vote, as well as disinformation threats from Russia.

- 'Dangerous developments' -

The election call also came as Ukraine struggles to fend off daily Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other cities.

Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the end of hostilities, according to a poll by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology.

Zelensky made numerous jabs at Fedorov during the briefing, which came ahead of events to mark the country's Independence Day on Monday, when several international leaders will be present. Allies are also to hold talks on how to bolster Ukraine's air defences amid the intense Russian strikes.

"I believe he is going himself -- or is being pushed – toward wrong things," Zelensky said of Fedorov.

The former minister was a prominent backer of the drone warfare strategy that has come to dominate the war with Russia, and had pushed for army reforms. But he clashed with the military's command and their traditionally stiff approach.

Much of the Ukrainian public initially took Fedorov's side and pushed for the dismissal of commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.

Zelensky said people had the right to protest, but warned against "disrespectful" attitudes toward armed service members.

"Since when has marketing started to outweigh the people who are giving their lives?" he said.

Zelensky sought to cast himself as a rampart against division.

"I believe that society and soldiers must not be divided," he said. "We must acknowledge that there is this risk -- that there may be movement in that direction, toward dangerous developments."

N.AbuHussein--SF-PST