Oleksandr Korniienko: Even in the conditions of a full-scale war, we will not allow the enemy to stop us in reforming governance
19 April 2023, 21:10
Oleksandr Korniienko, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the presentation of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Service in Local Self-Government Bodies” (Reg. No. 6504).
“The document is important for improving the competence of local self-government and attracting young people to the profession. This is a kind of impetus for society – that there is such a profession, where one can develop and be fulfilled,” said the First Vice Speaker.
Oleksandr Korniienko noted that hundreds of thousands of people are part of the public service: “They work in various ministries, structures, executive authorities, including local self-government. They provide services, organise processes, and perform duties within the limits and in the manner prescribed by the Constitution.” “These people work for Ukrainians, so there should be transparent rules of work, norms, ethical approaches and guarantees of rights,” he added.
At the same time, the First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament said that the decentralisation reform is quite successful in Ukraine: “Over the past three years, we have made significant progress in its implementation. This is an important part of our European integration track. And even in the face of a full-scale war, we will not allow the enemy to stop us from reforming governance.”
In conclusion, the First Vice Speaker noted that the consideration of draft law No. 6504 in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will take place in the near future, as all the components for the adoption of the act are in place.
“The compromise version of the draft law on service in local self-government bodies is intended to provide guarantees for local officials, their professional growth, work based on KPIs, as well as transparency of bonuses without political interference,” said Vitalii Bezhin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Structure and Local Self-Government of the Committee on State Building, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning. He expressed hope that this compromise text, which is supported by all stakeholders, would be supported by the Parliament of Ukraine as soon as possible.
The event was organised by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional and Urban Development with the assistance and support of the Council of Europe Programme “Strengthening Good Democratic Governance and Resilience in Ukraine”.
For reference. Draft Law No. 6504 was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the first reading on 16 November 2022.
In January-March 2023, at the initiative of Vitalii Bezhin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Territorial Structure and Local Self-Government of the Committee on State Building, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, a number of expert discussions were held at the subcommittee’s platform.