The politician noted that after the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the Law “On the All-Ukrainian Referendum” at the end of the previous year, the situation of “legal vacuum” has arisen around the institute of local referendum.
R.Koshulynskyi stressed that adoption of the abovementioned law deprived the citizens of Ukraine of the right to directly participate in management and solution of issues of a territorial community, provided by the Constitution of Ukraine. “Local communities have once again become hostages of the central body’s activities, and the potential of a referendum as a form of citizens’ direct participation in settling issues of local significance, remains unused,” stressed the people’s deputy.
R.Koshulynskyi reminded that in April 2011, the Parliament has adopted the draft law “On Local Referendum”, submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers in the first reading. However, it was criticized on the one hand by home experts and publicity and by the European structures, particularly, by the European Commission – on the other.
“I am convinced that the new Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine must consider all democratic elaborations and adopt a brand new law that will comply with calls of the time and interests of territorial communities, and shall not be another tool for manipulation,” he stressed.
The politician said that according to the remarks of the Venice Commission and that of experts, he has prepared a number of amendments to the adopted in the first reading bill “On Local Referendum”.
The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is convinced that the subjects of local referendum should be clearly determined and should involve participants of local referendum; territorial commissions; initiative groups on local referendum and their authorized persons; bodies of local self-government; local organizations of political parties and NGOs, aw well as the official observers.
The politician informed that he stands for the decrease of the level of administrative control over initiation and preparation of a local referendum and for providing equal possibilities to supporters and opponents of the issue put to a referendum.
Apart from this, R.Koshulynskyi stressed the necessity of broadening operating time limits of official observers.
Summing up, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine emphasized that “the institute of local self-government should become an effective tool of grass-roots democracy allowing stimulate social activity of Ukrainians
The politician reminded once again that as of today, there is no qualitative law that would settle the issue of holding local referendums which is a good possibility to analyze and discuss problematic issues of the community. “That is why we insist on the soonest possible consideration of the abovementioned issue in the session hall,” added he.