Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 7, 2021 – Local News
“We annulled direct elections of mayors to allow OTG chairmen to build their system
Vitaliy Bezgin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Organization of the Parliamentary Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, MP, explained the role and mission of elders working in Ukraine within the new administrative system.
The deputy explained that the idea of direct elections was rejected by the elders in order to give a tool to the OTG chairmen to build their system. “That is, the headman is actually a representative of the head of the community in this area,” said in an interview with the “Glavkom” Bezgin, who is the author of the bill №4535 “On Amendments to Some Laws of Ukraine on the Development of the Institute of Elders.”
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The politician explained in more detail how the management structure within the community should function. “There is a community leader who has received a representative mandate. The head of the community probably has the right to build a network of territory management and be responsible for it – political and administrative. Another approach is to return to what happened when village heads were political entities, and everyone represented the territory, even if he had plundered it twenty years before” he said.
At the same time, when appointing an elder, there should be a public discussion procedure to minimize conflicts.
“Why did you remove the direct elections of elders, including in the Electoral Code? In fact, it would be a gesture in favor of the current village and settlement mayors so that they do not lose their positions. This would turn into a constant conflict between the head of the OTG and the elders, which would not contribute to the sustainable development of communities, “Bezgin added.
The deputy also added that there were a large number of questions from the regions when elected deputies of district councils tried to become mayors, which is why the Bill №4535 more clearly specifies that the mayor can not combine his activities with another position – to be a deputy of district councils, have another paid work, etc. “We have” experts “on the ground and from Kyiv, who interpreted the laws in their own way, saying that such a vote does not contradict the law. Therefore, we want to cement this norm. Sorry, even the mayor, who is elected by indirect elections, also has a representative mandate, he cannot be combined, “Bezgin said.
Bill №4535 also provides for the introduction of the criterion of a minimum population for the creation of an old-fashioned district of 1,500 people, with the exception of high-altitude communities and areas with low population density.
The possibility of early termination of the term of office of the mayor is simplified. If previously there were a number of grounds for such a decision, such as the loss of Ukrainian citizenship or a conviction that came into force, now the community council can appoint and dismiss the mayor, without burdening themselves with the motivation of such a decision. Experts also pointed out that in the event of amendments to the legislation, elders will no longer automatically be members of the executive committees of the united territorial communities.