The issue
of normative legal regulation of forms of direct democracy at the local level, particularly:
legal basis, organization and conduct of local referendums; place and role of
public hearings in ensuring efficient local self-government; introducing the
institute of local initiative and its place among forms of direct democracy,
etc. was discussed during the meeting.
Opening the discussion, the Chairman of the Committee Davyd Zhvaniia stressed that Ukrainian history has a lot of examples of direct influence of people on adoption and implementation of governmental decisions. ‘Participation of citizens in local life is the basis of democracy, its direct expression. Such form of participation allows to efficiently conduct a dialogue and reach a compromise between a person and government,’ he said.
D. Zhvaniia reminded that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in its Resolution ‘On instruments of citizen participation in representative democracy’ No. 1121 called member-states of the Council of Europe to ‘improve the system of representative democracy by establishing a balance between government’s responsibility and the role of citizens in the process of adopting decisions.’ He assured that the Committee is ready to participate in consideration and refinement of the bills that are being elaborated by the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine to carry out the programme of the President of Ukraine on decentralization of power.
The Chairman of the Committee also said that the working group on elaboration of the draft law on local referendum (Reg. No. 0867) for the second reading continues its work. ‘I hope that in the nearest future the text of the bill will be ready for discussion,’ the people’s deputy said.
Participants of the hearings took part in discussion about the problems of implementing basic provisions of participatory democracy.
The Advisor to the President of Ukraine – the Chairperson of the Presidential Administration
Main Office for Constitutional and Legal Modernization Affairs, the Chairperson
of the Presidential Administration Main Office for Coordinating Council for
Civil Society Development Maryna Stavniichuk informed everyone about the
activity of the Coordinating Council, particularly about main provisions of the
action plan for development of local democracy system. She claimed that
elaboration of the bill on local referendum is an important issue.
The Chairman of the subcommittee on local self-government Yevhen Kartashov attached everyone’s attention to the difficulties of using current organizational and legal forms of citizens’ participation in settling issues of local significance, he also stressed the pressing necessity of their improvement.
The Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of local self-government authorities Myroslav Pittsyk drew attention to financial aspect of communities’ sustainment, negative consequences of shortage of funds for exercising delegated powers, possible innovations in taxation, as well as local rulemaking.
The Chairman of the subcommittee on electoral legislation and citizens associations Volodymyr Bondarenko provided several examples of citizens’ participation in settling issues of local life in some European countries, having noted the diversity of forms and means of such participation.
The First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Olha Mykhailenko shared her thoughts about the problems of attracting citizens to elaboration and adoption of governmental decisions on a local level, as well as about issues of narrowing the scope of powers of local self-government authorities.
Following the results of the discussion, Davyd Zhvaniia claimed that members of territorial communities can and must participate in governing local affairs. According to the Chairman of the Committee, the reform will work in Ukraine only when citizens get a ‘distinct signal’ that they are hosts on their territory.