Ukraine to adopt laws on decentralization of power within three months - decree

Ukraine's interim president and parliament speaker, Oleksandr Turchynov, has instructed the government to draft and submit to the Verkhovna Rada a bill that would decentralize power and significantly expand the powers of local communities.

A respective instruction is contained in the decree on measures to consolidate Ukrainian citizens and stop civil strife in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Turchynov signed on Sunday.

According to the document, the Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to prepare, submit and organize support in the Verkhovna Rada for bills on holding in Ukraine local government reform and organizing power in the regions, envisaging a significant decentralization of power and the expansion of the powers of local communities, the formation of the executive agencies by local councils, the extension of material and financial framework for local government, and effective mechanisms for public participation in making local government decisions.

The decree states that respective laws should be adopted within three months.

In addition, according to the decree, Ukraine will set up a working group consisting of representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, MPs (by consent), representatives of the Association of Ukrainian Cities (by consent), and delegated representatives of local government and the public. The working group is created to coordinate positions on legislative amendments in the reform of local government authorities and the organization of power in the regions.

The decree comes into force from the date of its publication.