Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: Local Elections shall be held on 27 March 2011
During the Saturday´s working visit to the city of Kharkiv, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated that the local elections shall be held on 27 March 2011. He deems necessary to harmonize the period of authorities of the deputies of local councils, and city, township and village mayors. Under the Constitution, local councils are elected for 5 years, while city, township and village mayors for 4 years.
V.Lytvyn believes that local councils and mayors shall be elected for 5 years. However, the Constitution of Ukraine shall be amended in this case. A corresponding bill has been forwarded to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. If the Constitutional Court has no remarks, The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be able to ratify the amendments by the constitutional majority in September. If the amendments are introduced in September, the elections can not be held in October, the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed.
He calls for reaching a consensus regarding the entire election system. He believes that the system of local elections shall be majoritarian. The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supposes that the deputies to The Verkhovna Rada shall be elected by the open party lists. "Otherwise, the elections will provoke a conflict, V.Lytvyn stated. I am deeply convinced that the conflict as a motive force of the country´s development is no longer valid."