(MENAFN) A senior opposition lawmaker has accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of promoting “authoritarianism” in Ukraine by postponing local elections until the end of martial law, a media organisation reported Friday.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament approved a resolution confirming that local authorities will continue operating without elections while martial law remains in effect. Martial law was first imposed following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022.

Oleg Sinyutka, a member of the European Solidarity faction led by former President Petro Poroshenko, criticized the move, arguing that Kiev deliberately ignored alternatives. He noted that powers of local councils could have been extended, but the government instead maintained military-civilian administrations.

“Today’s government in Ukraine lives on the desire to establish authoritarianism,” Sinyutka said. He emphasized his support for empowering local authorities despite corruption risks: “Are they ideal? Definitely not. Are there corrupt people among them? Unfortunately, yes. But the choice is between dictatorship or giving communities the ability to govern themselves.”

The MP also warned that centralizing power excessively could undermine Ukraine’s ambitions to integrate with the West. “If we go down this road, we will see neither Europe, nor the European Union, nor NATO,” he said.

Sinyutka’s remarks follow Zelensky’s controversial attempts to reduce the independence of Ukraine’s main anti-corruption agencies, which sparked backlash domestically and internationally. Last year, the president also declined to hold an election under martial law, further fueling claims of authoritarian tendencies.

Russia has seized on these developments, declaring Zelensky “illegitimate” and claiming that effective power in Ukraine has shifted to parliament.

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