The amalgamated hromadas of the Odesa Oblast, which are waiting for the first elections in October, commented on the decision of the Central Election Commission, in which it actually refuses to hold elections in AHs until the explanation of the Verkhovna Rada Committee is received.

It should be noted that there are already three AHs in the oblast: the Velykobuyalytska, Velykoploskivska and Vizyrska hromadas.

“We have amalgamated following to the decision of our residents, in accordance with the law. If we hold the first elections in October this year, then we will receive the state subvention for infrastructure development, during this time until the new year we will have time to reorganise all our executive bodies, we will gradually carry out the necessary preparatory work for the transition to new interbudgetary relations with the state budget, etc. Therefore, we would like to have a positive decision of the CEC tomorrow, on 17 August,” says Yevdokiya Ducheva, head of Velykyi Buyalyk village.

The stance of the local self-government representatives is supported by the Odesa Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion.

“At the time when the reform already shows certain results of AHs’ activity and the number of those willing to form an AH is steadily growing, we get the CEC's decision not to appoint elections in October. Who benefits today? The members of the CEC, who will soon be unemployed and try to use the last chance for manipulations? They, apparently, wear vyshyvankas, sing the Ukrainian anthem and show their love to Ukraine. But in fact, they stab a knife in the reform’s back,” says Yulia Molodozhen, director of the Odesa LGDC.

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