A Guide to the Ukrainian Elections

Ukraine’s presidential election is still set to take place on May 25, despite waves of violence and political instability in the country’s eastern and southern regions. The Central Election Commission said on Saturday that it might be impossible to open voting booths in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, large portions of which are under the control of well-armed militant separatists. This means that approximately 2 million of the country’s 36 million eligible voters will not have access to a local polling station.

Ukraine’s interim government might have more to lose by postponing the elections than by carrying on under current circumstances. Choosing a new, popularly elected president would add legitimacy to Kiev’s government, which could help facilitate negotiations in the east. On the other hand, carrying ahead without electoral stations in the east could fuel frustrations that Kiev is ignoring the demands of eastern Ukrainians.