Ukraine peace referendum idea 'unlawful', NGOs urge Zelensky to reconsider plan
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Around 50 civil society groups in Ukraine have called on the authorities to abandon the idea of approving a potential peace deal with Russia through a referendum, according to a statement published by Ukrainian media watchdog Detector Media on Feb. 23.
The idea of holding a referendum has been raised as the U.S. urges Ukraine to pursue a peace deal with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in December that any territorial concessions to end Russia's all-out war, mentioned in a U.S.-backed peace plan, should be decided by the Ukrainian people, potentially through a referendum.
Under martial law, elections and referendums are prohibited. Zelensky tasked lawmakers with drafting legislative proposals to allow changes to the election law during martial law.
According to the president, a referendum wouldn't be needed if a peace deal preserved the current frontlines. But if it calls for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region, a referendum will be necessary, he said.
So far, the territorial issue has seen no progress in the ongoing peace talks.
"The attempt to impose the legitimization of peace agreements on Ukrainians through a referendum is unlawful and unacceptable, contradicts Ukraine's Constitution and laws, and threatens the national interests of our state," the NGOs' statement read.
NGOs warn of potential Russian interference in such a referendum, adding that Ukraine's Constitution and laws don't require a referendum for international treaties, except when parliament approves a treaty that includes territorial changes.
"We can't allow Ukraine's president or those authorized by him to conclude an agreement that would threaten the territorial integrity of our state and involve the surrender of part of its sovereign territory," the address says.
It urged Zelensky and parliament to avoid any attempts to initiate a referendum that violates the Ukrainian Constitution, stating that "such actions would be explicitly illegal and could have unpredictable destructive consequences."
A mid-January poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that around 55% of Ukrainians support holding a referendum on a potential peace deal, while 32% oppose the idea.
Earlier, Zelensky said that a potential referendum on a peace deal should take place before it is signed by Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and European countries. If a referendum takes place later, the people's decision will hold more weight than the president's signature, he said.
Ukraine would need 60 days to hold a referendum, with the key condition being Russia's commitment to an actual ceasefire, according to Zelensky.
"If there is no security, the legitimacy (of the referendum) is also in question," Zelensky added.
