The first local elections in amalgamated hromadas should be held on the last Sunday of October. This year the elections day falls on 28 October. There is still no corresponding decision of the Central Electoral Commission. However, it is already August, and it means that in the coming days such a decision would have to be adopted, since in accordance with the CEC Resolution No 164 dated 18 August 2017, the first local elections are scheduled not later than 70 days before the day of such elections, and the electoral process has to start 50 days before the elections.

Previously, decentralisation.gov.ua reported at the decision of the Central Electoral Commission about the appointment of the first local elections is expected by 68 AHs and 37 hromadas that joined the 23 existing AHs.

The MinRegion draws the attention of oblast state administrations to the observance of the legislative deadlines for providing conclusions on compliance of hromadas’ decisions on amalgamation with the current legislation and sending appeals to the CEC concerning the appointment of elections in AHs.

According to the latest data, 37 AHs expect the OSAs’ conclusions on the compliance of decisions on amalgamation with the current legislation. And regarding 13 AHs, local administrations are preparing appeals to the CEC.

The Central Reform Office has sent data to MinRegion, which testify that certain oblast state administrations do not adhere to the statutory deadlines for the preparation of the indicated documents. Namely:

The Zakarpattia Oblast State Administration have not been providing conclusions to 6 AHs for a long time;

The Kyiv Oblast State Administration defers conclusions for 4 AHs and delays the process of sending of appeals to the CEC on the appointment of elections regarding another 4 AHs;

The Odesa Oblast State Administration defers conclusions for 4 AHs;

The Cherkasy Oblast State Administration defers conclusions for 1 AH;

The Poltava and Rivne Oblast State Administrations fail to send appeals to the CEC regarding 2 AHs formed in these oblasts.

MonRegion urges the oblast state administrations to keep up with the preparation of the necessary documents and enable AHs to hold their first local elections in October this year. The Ministry has already sent a letter to oblast state administrations, which draws attention to the need to intensify work on organisational support and promotion of voluntary amalgamation of hromadas and accession to the already formed AHs.

In accordance with the current legislation, oblast state administrations must provide a conclusion on the compliance of draft decisions of the councils with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine within 10 working days.

“Oblast state administrations, first of all, are obliged to ensure their constitutional powers in terms of the lawfulness and observance of the rights and freedoms of citizens, in this case – their will to elect the heads and deputies of the councils of amalgamated hromadas,” commented Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services.

Already in two weeks, by 15 August, the oblast state administrations should provide MinRegion with comprehensive information about the AHs, regarding which appeals on the first local elections were submitted to the Central Electoral Commission. Besides, local administrations should provide MinRegion with the conclusions that testify the incompliance of the draft decisions on voluntary amalgamation of hromadas with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. Justification of these conclusions will be thoroughly analysed by the Ministry.