627 day of war

Hello, friends!

Lately, we've been having more and more discussions about the presidential elections. Some say it's necessary to demonstrate a democratic regime, while others claim it's a requirement from other countries to receive military aid. This has become a highly resonant issue, and I want to share my thoughts on it.

It seems to me that holding elections now won't lead to anything good. From the first days of the war, all reasonable political authorities united and began working together for victory. It was pleasing to see how former political opponents set aside their personal interests and started working for the state rather than creating their own image. There is concern that political races will disrupt the situation where all politicians are united by a common goal.

Moreover, holding elections now poses other problems, such as financing. Almost all our taxes go towards the war. The main concern for people now is ensuring the well-being of our soldiers on the front lines because everyone already has relatives or friends who are there. Constant disputes with the government arise regarding the judicious use of funds. For example, local mayors often prioritize repaving streets every year or repairing roads, leading to many questions from the people.

This is more of an issue for local communities because after the 2014 revolution, we implemented decentralization of power. Each region of the country collects taxes in its budget and uses it as it sees fit (previously, all taxes went to Kyiv and were then distributed among regions, leading to disputes between regions). Like before in Mariupol, I participated in protests against our mayor, whom we believed was embezzling the local budget by repaving the streets every year. I observe the same in Ternopil now. Therefore, currently, the questions are more directed towards local authorities than the president.

It's also unclear how to organize the voting for our soldiers since it's impossible to set up a polling station in the trenches. The same goes for internally displaced persons and those who have left the country. Even our constitution states that during a state of war, elections are not held, and this makes sense.

In my opinion, elections are absolutely unnecessary now because the support for the president is real. If they were to take place, I would vote for Zelensky again because I don't see other worthy candidates, and I am satisfied with how he manages the state. We, as a people, have extensive experience with revolutions, and as practice shows, if any president attempts to do what he wants, they will be removed from office without any elections. People will take to the streets and not leave until their demands are met, showing the strength of our nation and a colossal gap in mentality compared to Russia, where people live in fear and don't struggle to assert their rights.

Elections don't seem crucial right now because the biggest problem is the war and its consequences, and any president won't be able to change that at the moment. The rhetoric of the government and the military is gradually changing, and they tell us that the war will be long and difficult, shattering the hope we had last year that everything would soon end. Now there is an understanding that it will be tough, it will take time, and we need to survive on our own because hoping for help from the government or compensation for housing doesn't make sense.

Right now, we're doing everything to survive this time. Morally, it's getting harder, the cold season is approaching, and work is increasing, but we hold on and work as much as we can. I believe this is not forever, and it helps us move forward despite everything that's happening.

Thank you all for your support and help on buymeacoffee. I greatly appreciate it.