Photo: Europaparlament
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko does not consider it appropriate to hold elections in Ukraine until a stable peace is established. "In such a difficult situation, an election campaign can destroy the country from within and weaken it significantly," Klitschko told DW on Thursday, February 20, at a press conference in Brussels on the occasion of receiving the Pavel Adamovich Prize. The prize is awarded for an outstanding contribution to strengthening democracy at the local level, protecting human rights and supporting the solidarity of citizens in the European Union.
"In the current situation, elections are poison for our homeland," says Vitali Klitschko. "After peace gradually returns to Ukraine, the next logical step will be elections." In his opinion, it is not wise to prepare for the elections now, because "the question of whether Ukraine will exist or not is open."
While Ukrainians are fighting for independence and territorial integrity, the political forces in the country must unite their forces and power to stop the war. "It is very important to have unity within the country and beyond its borders, around Ukraine," the mayor of the Ukrainian capital concluded.
Mayor of Kyiv awarded with prize named after the deceased mayor of Gdansk
On February 20, Vitali Klitschko was awarded the Pavel Adamovich Prize at the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions at the European Parliament. He became the laureate on January 13. Among the candidates were Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy, Russian political prisoner, former municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov, and others. The jury especially recognized Palestinian and Israeli community leaders Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan for their efforts in reconciliation.
The jury believes that the initiatives of the Kyiv mayor are a model for other cities. These include the introduction of the Kyiv Digital application, which allows citizens to raise issues and vote on local initiatives, and the creation of the Vcentri network of hubs, which serves as an important public space for the government, civil society organizations, and local residents.
“The Kyiv mayor supports the dialogue between citizens and authorities through public consultations and discussions, from public hearings and forums to online surveys and support for the creation of public councils with civil society organizations, while ensuring access to basic services such as water and electricity,” the press service of the Adamovich Prize organizing committee said in a statement.
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