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Moscow [Russia], May 29: Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential term ended last week, so the only legitimate body in Ukraine today is the country's parliament.
Speaking at a press conference after a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan, President Putin on May 28 suggested conducting an in-depth legal analysis of Mr. Zelensky 's situation and emphasized that there is no provision in The Ukrainian Constitution says nothing about expanding Mr. Zelensky's powers, according to RT Radio.
Mr. Zelensky previously argued that his term as leader of Ukraine was extended because the country is currently under martial law and cannot hold presidential elections during wartime.
Mr. Putin noted that the Constitution of Ukraine does not mention the suspension of presidential elections and only prohibits holding parliamentary elections, meaning that only the term of the country's parliament can be extended in such circumstances as above.
Mr. Putin acknowledged that Ukraine's mobilization law specifically stipulates that presidential elections cannot be held during wartime, but emphasized that the law says nothing about extending the president's term.
Citing Article 111 of the Ukrainian Constitution, Mr. Putin said that supreme presidential power should be transferred to the speaker of the parliament and that the only legal power in the country currently belongs to the Ukrainian Parliament.
In response, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk on May 28 rejected President Putin's statements about President Zelensky's legitimacy, according to The Kyiv Independent news site .
If martial law had not been imposed, the presidential election would have been held on March 31, 2024 and Mr. Zelensky's presidential term would have ended on May 20. But Ukraine declared martial law after Russia launched a military campaign on February 24, 2022. The Martial Law Act explicitly prohibits presidential, parliamentary and local elections, according to The Kyiv Independent .
Mr. Stefanchuk emphasized that according to the Constitution of Ukraine, the president exercises his powers until the newly elected president takes office. "Therefore, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky is still and will remain the president of Ukraine until the end of martial law. All of this is in accordance with the constitution and laws of Ukraine," Mr. Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper