The Coordination Council on Local Self-Government Issues under the Chairman of the Volyn Regional Council has adopted an appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposing amendments to the election law regarding elections to local government bodies, and if this is not possible — to postpone elections to local councils to October 2006 or hold them in March under the old law. This was reported to the Western Information Corporation on November 11 by the press service of the Volyn Regional Council.
\n \nMembers of the coordination council concluded that the adopted Law of Ukraine "On Elections of Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Local Councils and Village, Settlement, City Heads" effectively secures the rights only of those citizens who are members of parties, which significantly narrows the rights of the absolute majority of citizens who do not belong to any political structure. This becomes an obstacle to the equal application of the universal direct electoral right guaranteed by the Constitution by all citizens.
\n \nThe absence of sufficiently structured political parties at the local level, in the opinion of Volyn representatives, will lead to the possibility that people from the party nomenklatura who have no connection whatsoever to a particular territorial community may be elected to local councils under the new law, and this could lead to socio-political instability.
\n \nLeaders of the region's representative bodies believe that the electoral system envisaged by the new Law of Ukraine "On Elections of Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Local Councils and Village, Settlement, City Heads" does not correspond to the main principles of local self-government as defined by the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine," does not ensure the effective formation of effective local self-government, and consequently — of self-sufficient territorial communities.
\n \nAs a result of the discussion, an appeal to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was adopted, proposing to introduce such amendments and additions to the said law as would overcome existing contradictions and eliminate the legal conflicts that will block the activity of local councils.
\n \nIn the event that it is impossible to introduce such amendments and additions to the Law of Ukraine that came into force on October 1, 2005, it is proposed to postpone elections to local councils to October 2006 or hold them in March 2006 under the old law.
\n \nThe appeal was signed by the chairman of the regional council and the heads of district councils.
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