Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, calls for holding the Elections to Kyiv City Council under the Majority Voting System
In the interview to Chas TV program (Channel 5), V.Lytvyn denied the prospect of ‘dual power´ in Kyiv due to adoption of the amended Law "On the Capital of Ukraine Hero City Kyiv." "Kyiv will not have two mayors," he stated, stressing that capital authorities should work efficiently.
The Head of the Parliament informed that no resolutions on appointment of the mayor had been issued. He believes that the order should be established in the capital, as the acting municipal authorities ‘have plundered it.´
As to the possible liquidation of Kyiv district councils, Volodymyr Lytvyn reminded that all Ukrainian cities are authorized to decide on establishment or non-establishment of the district councils. "Kyiv did not have this right. However, the recently adopted Law restored this power, making Kyiv equal to other cities of Ukraine," he said.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supposes that resolutions on the establishment of district councils in Kyiv should be passed in due time, after the public discussion with Kyiv residents. "Otherwise, this resolution will seem to be adopted for the benefit of some political forces or other institutes of power," V.Lytvyn admitted. "However, we often refer to the experience of European countries, whereas they have no district councils in the cities."
"The provision on the majority voting system by the elections to Kyiv City Council should be fixed in the bill to be brought forward by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine," he stated.
V.Lytvyn believes that if the resolution on the liquidation of district councils in Kyiv is adopted, the enlargement of the deputy corps of Kyiv City Council should be considered. "However, the deputies of the city council should be elected under the majoritarian voting system, so that the residents of particular districts would know their representatives in the local authorities," the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament stated.