Administrative reform is to be urgently conducted in Ukraine, say lawmakers
Kyiv, March 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Local government reform in Ukraine, which foresees a large decentralization of power, could be conducted in two years, Director of the Civil Society Institute Anatoliy Tkachuk said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday, March 11.
He said that as a part of the reform this year all the required draft laws that have been already drawn up should be passed. The administrative and territorial reform should be conducted in the first half of 2015 and local elections could be conducted in October 2015 with new powers for the local authorities.
The draft concept of local government reform and territorial organization of power in Ukraine was submitted to parliament by MPs Andriy Pavelko (not belonging to any faction) and Volodymyr Polochaninov (the Batkivschyna faction).
"We propose leaving real mechanisms for participating in local politics to representatives of communities," Pavelko said.
A draft law on amendments to the national budget, which task is to remove injustice in the principles of the distribution of funds of the state fund for regional development and make impossible the distribution of funds at the sole discretion of officials, has been also registered in the Ukrainian parliament.
In addition, Pavelko and Polochaninov registered a draft law on amendments to the law on the capital of Ukraine – the City of Kyiv, which foresees the restoration of district councils and conducting of the mayor elections over two rounds.
Polochaninov said that the proposed draft laws would stabilize the situation in the country.
"The changes seen in Ukraine are not the merit of politicians and not the merit of power representatives, for sure. The window of opportunities is open now, but any power, new or old, will try to close this window as soon as possible and as tightly as possible. We're not inventing anything – we're simply taking lots of correct actions aimed at not preserving the situation we have now," the lawmaker said.
MP Hennadiy Zubko (the Batkivschyna faction) said that the said draft laws give an idea about the difference between the decentralization of power and federalization. He said that the decentralization process would be difficult.
"However, we have to go through this process," he said.