Resolutions concerning a new local self-government
model should be passed at the state Level, while the local authorities
structure should be based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government.
It was the principal concept expressed during the sitting of the Advisory Council on Local Self-Government held in the town of Yaremche under the chairmanship of Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Participants of the Advisory Council scrutinized issues on legislative support of administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine, as well as state and perspectives of development of tourism in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
"We shall have a common vision of reformation of local councils since future of Ukraine is associated with the local self-government", V. Lytvyn emphasized.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada calls for considering practical personal and legislative experience that can be adjusted to the Ukrainian society. He stressed the importance of "general vision of a problem," since administrative-territorial reforms in the industry, public health and education, have already been launched. "We feel a lack of a single reformation center", V. Lytvyn admitted.
Departmental reforms, according to V. Lytvyn, shall be held in view of the future of the administrative-territorial reform.
V. Lytvyn declared that attention shall be focused on the public health matters and preservation of the infrastructure, as the announced intention to cut down on 10% of schools and hospitals provoked serious concern in the society.
Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Minister of Justice of Ukraine, admitted the lack of a clear-cut vision of reforms to be approved by the high-ranking authorities. He reminded that local self-government reforms were among the priorities of almost all Ukrainian governments, "although none of them accomplished these intentions." O. Lavrynovych deems necessary to take the previous experience into account.
The participants suggested choosing several
regions to try different concepts and models of administrative and territorial
reform. However, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is of the opinion
that such experiments are too expensive for the state.
The participants of the Advisory Council deem necessary to form a single legislative base for the reforms, and adopt a political document to define their directions. It was announced that the Government had already set up a working group headed by V. Tykhonov, Deputy Prime Minister, to scrutinize this issue and coordinate proposals of the regions.
At the press conference, V. Lytvyn stressed, "It is necessary to hold administrative-territorial reform but there is no legislative basis." He called conducting such discussions, having regretted that "during the today´s sitting, mere statement of facts dominated over the necessary propositions." "I am convinced that the most effective and correct policy is that is suggested by regions with appreciation of problems to be solved", the Head of the Parliament declared.
On Friday, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stays with a working visit in Ivano-Frankivsk region.