On 16 September, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported, in its first reading, the Draft Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Legitimacy of Local Councils under Martial Law” (reg. No. 14405). The document was voted for by 236 Members of Parliament.

Vitalii Bezgin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, named this decision the first step to preserving the operational capacity of small communities.

‘MPs have supported in the first reading Draft Law No. 14405, which aims to preserve the operational capacity of local councils in small communities across Ukraine. In practice, this means that even in the smallest community, which may face a problem with the number of local councillors, there will be no obstacle to providing services to our citizens,’ said Vitalii Bezgin.

The Minister stated that the draft law would enable the council to continue its work under martial law even when only a third of its total membership remains.

The revised, balanced version of the document also provides that a local councillor who has joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot be stripped of their seat due to their absence from council meetings. Vitalii Bezgin emphasised that this is an important indicator of fairness.

The Minister thanked the MPs from both the majority and the opposition who supported the draft law, as well as the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Korniienko, for his advocacy of the document.

During the presentation of the draft law, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleksandr Aliksiichuk explained why the issue requires an urgent legislative solution.

‘In 2025, 211 communities were unable to take decisions due to a lack of local councillors. And this is not a reflection on their work or their unwillingness. It is a question of how the community functions,’ said Oleksandr Aliksiichuk.

He said the draft law had been approved and discussed with representatives of all parliamentary factions. The document is intended to ensure that local councils can function in communities where the number of councillors has fallen significantly as a result of the war, whilst maintaining a balance of powers and the necessary precautions.

‘The balance in the community has been taken into account from all points of view. We have to allow local councils to function even when, for different reasons, they have fewer councillors,’ emphasised Oleksandr Aliksiichuk.

Vitalii Bezgin expressed his hope that the second reading of the draft law would proceed as soon as possible, in order to finally resolve the problem that is currently preventing certain communities from functioning properly and meeting the needs of their residents.