Internally displaced persons and elections under military conflict in Ukraine

Abstract

We examine the legal framework and the institutional and political conditions that have adversely impacted the electoral participation of Internally Displaced Person (IDP) voters in Ukraine. Since 2014, during intense political instability and military conflict, Ukraine conducted three elections-presidential, parliamentary and local. Meanwhile, the number of IDPs climbed to 1.5 million (as of October 2015 when the last election was held). Based on English- and Ukrainian-language legal and political documents, we trace the development of Ukrainian laws on IDPs and elections. We find that Ukraine's government has failed to adhere to international standards on IDP enfranchisement; we also show how procedures of IDP electoral registration, policies towards conflictaffected areas and electoral campaigns have undermined the principle of political equality for internally displaced citizens. We conclude with steps Ukraine and the international community can take to improve the electoral situation of IDPs.