Local government in Ukraine

Local government in Ukraine consists of administrative divisions of Ukraine. There are 24 oblasts (regions), with each oblast further divided into raions (districts).

The heads of local governments are appointed and dismissed by the President of Ukraine after a nomination by the Cabinet of Ministers and serve as representatives of the central government in Kiev. They govern over locally elected assemblies.

Structure

In cities with district divisions, decisions of the local community or the city council may be made at the district level. Executive bodies of villages, townships, city and city-district councils have their executive committees and departments established by the council's executive bodies. The implementation of delegated executive powers is also under the control of the relevant executive bodies.

The village, township, or city mayor is the chief executive of the local community at the village (or association of several villages), town or city level, elected by universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot every four years in the manner prescribed by law. The village or township mayor leads the executive committee of the respective village, township or city council, and presides at its meetings.

Powers

Bodies subject to local self-government law may be separate arms of the executive. Executive bodies of villages, townships and city councils have jurisdiction in the following areas:

At meetings of the village, township and city council, the following issues are decided:

The powers of executive bodies of village, township and city councils are autonomous or delegated. Delegated powers include:

Finances

The financial basis of local government consists of movable and immovable property, revenues, other funds, land, natural resources and common property, and is managed by district and regional councils. Territorial communities of villages, towns and cities may unite (on a contractual basis) objects of communal property and budget funds for implementation of joint projects, or to jointly finance (or maintain) communal enterprises, organizations and institutions. The state participates in the revenue of local budgets, financially supporting local self-government. Costs to local government arising from decisions of public authorities are compensated by the state.

Local governments can be legally-separate powers of the executive. The state finances the exercise of these powers in full from the state budget of Ukraine, or (by referring to the local budget, in the manner prescribed by law, certain national taxes) transfers to local governments appropriate objects of state property. Activities of local authorities aim to meet the social needs of citizens and (especially) to obtain essential services. Local budgets are the financial base of local governments; the resources accumulated in these budgets determine how effectively local authorities can carry out their mandate.

Elections

Under the Constitution of Ukraine, the term of office of the heads of villages and towns and the council members of these villages and towns is five years.[1][2][nb 1] The last nationwide local election was held in 2015.[4]

Rural township councils are elected by a majority in single-member constituencies, which divide territory under the village level. Municipal councils are elected by a proportional system: members are elected from electoral lists of candidates. District councils in cities are also elected by a proportional system. Elections at the village and township levels are by a majority electoral system.

Ukrainian citizens who belong to the relevant local community and are entitled to vote may do so in national (or Crimean), regional, district, city-district or local elections and fully participate in political life (including election campaigns and observing elections), as determined by the laws of Ukraine.

Composition of village, township, city, city-district, district and regional councils should be:

The right to nominate candidates is implemented through local voters of the parties (blocks) or by self, as provided by law.

Examples

Regional and district councils are local authorities which represent the common interests of villages and towns within the powers specified in the Constitution of Ukraine, other laws and powers transferred to them by rural, town and city councils. At plenary sessions of the district and regional councils, the following issues are decided:

The District Chairman is elected from among its members during the term of the council by secret ballot, and serves until a new chairman is elected. The chairman is accountable to the council; they may be dismissed from office by a two-thirds majority of the council in a secret ballot. Regional and district councils do not form their own executive bodies, since appropriate powers delegated by their regional and district state administrations.

The organizational, legal, informational, analytical and logistical activities of the council and its agencies provide staff for council members. It contributes interaction and relationships with local communities, local authorities, bodies and officials of local governments. The ex officio chairman heads the council.

Executive power in oblasts, districts and the cities of Kiev and Sevastopol is exercised by local administrations. The organization, powers and procedures of local public administrations is defined by the Law of Ukraine "On local state administrations" of April 9, 1999 № 586-XIV. The exercise of executive power in Kiev and Sevastopol are determined by special laws. The composition of local state administrations is formed by the head of local state administrations, who are appointed and dismissed by the President of Ukraine upon submission to the Cabinet of Ministers.

State administrations ensure:

The heads of local state administrations are accountable to the President of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. As part of the authority delegated to them by the relevant district or regional councils, local state administrations are accountable to and controlled by councils. Decisions by heads of local state administrations that contravene the Constitution and laws of Ukraine or other legislative acts of Ukraine may be revoked according to law by the President of Ukraine or a head of higher-level local administration. Regional or district councils may adopt a motion of no confidence in the head of the respective local state administration until the President of Ukraine takes decision and makes a reasoned response. If no confidence in the head of a district or regional state administration is expressed by two-thirds of the deputies to a council, the president of Ukraine decides whether or not to accept their resignation.

Election of members of district councils are by the proportional system: deputies elected from the electoral lists of political parties (or electoral blocs of political parties in the larger constituency). Election of deputies to regional councils and Kiev and Sevastopol also use the proportional system.

Crimea

The representative body of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC) is the Supreme Council. Parliament within its authority adopts decisions and resolutions which are binding in the ARC. The government of the ARC is the Council of Ministers. The chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed and dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC with the consent of the President of Ukraine. The powers, procedure and activities of the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers are determined by the constitution and laws of Ukraine and legal acts of the Verkhovna Rada of the ARC.

The ARC regulates:

Political activity regulated by the ARC includes:

The laws of the ARC can also be delegated to the president of the Ukrainian delegation, whose status is determined by the law of Ukraine.

To ensure the implementation of common socioeconomic and cultural programs of local communities, the budgets of the ARC and the oblasts are derived from the following payments:

To ensure the implementation of common socioeconomic and cultural programs of local communities, district budgets are taken into account when determining the scope of intergovernmental transfers:

In addition, a base of regional and districts of the ARC is formed from transfers from the state budget and other government agencies.

Notes

  1. ↑ In the 2010 Ukrainian local elections four years was set for the office of the heads of villages and towns and the council members of these villages and towns.[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 CEC member: Kyiv City Council to be elected for five years in upcoming election, Interfax-Ukraine (16 February 2013)
  2. ↑ Local elections in Kyiv should be held in 2015, according to Constitutional Court, Interfax-Ukraine (30 may 2013)
    Ukraine court ruling on Kiev mayor election ‘pro-government’, Euronews (31 may 2013)
  3. ↑ European Parliament EU-Ukraine PCC Members' delegation to Ukraine observing local and regional elections of 31 October 2010, European Parliament (10 November 2010)
  4. ↑ Poroshenko Bloc, Batkivschyna, Nash Kray get largest number of seats in local councils – Ukrainian Voters Committee, Interfax-Ukraine (12 November 2015)
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