Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak said that Ukraine is not a dictatorship, as it is an open country with regular elections and a free press
Open borders: Closed for Ukrainian men of military age during wartime. You, I, journalists, etc. can still come and go.
Competitive political space: Banned parties supporting the country they are currently at war with. No matter how you feel about who’s at fault, that must be an understandable action to you. Also, most members of the largest banned party (Opposition Platform - For Life) are still in the parliament and just formed other parliamentary groups.
Competitive information space: Again, wartime with a country engaging in propaganda eagerly and with talent.
Elections: Would be against Ukrainian constitution to have elections under martial law, not to mention impossible to arrange or supervise. Or you think it would be possible to organise an election where everyone had easy and reliable access to vote right now? The decision was just confirmed unanimously yesterday, with all 17 previous members of the banned …For Life -party who were present also voting for it.
You can dress it however you like, maybe even plead necessity, but what you can’t do at the same time is say how democratic it is because this features exists (which they don’t).
Just because this needs to be said.
Open borders: Closed for Ukrainian men of military age during wartime. You, I, journalists, etc. can still come and go.
Competitive political space: Banned parties supporting the country they are currently at war with. No matter how you feel about who’s at fault, that must be an understandable action to you. Also, most members of the largest banned party (Opposition Platform - For Life) are still in the parliament and just formed other parliamentary groups.
Competitive information space: Again, wartime with a country engaging in propaganda eagerly and with talent.
Elections: Would be against Ukrainian constitution to have elections under martial law, not to mention impossible to arrange or supervise. Or you think it would be possible to organise an election where everyone had easy and reliable access to vote right now? The decision was just confirmed unanimously yesterday, with all 17 previous members of the banned …For Life -party who were present also voting for it.
No, I can’t. I am a “man of military age”. So if I come back to Ukraine I will be prisoner there, along with millions of people there.
You can dress it however you like, maybe even plead necessity, but what you can’t do at the same time is say how democratic it is because this features exists (which they don’t).
Edited for spelling.