The Constitutional Court has ruled that draft law No. 3207–1 complies with the Constitution

The Constitutional Court of Ukraine has recognized the draft Law "On Amending the Constitution of Ukraine" (No. 3207-1) as complying with the requirements of Articles 157 and 158 of the Constitution of Ukraine. This decision was announced by the Chairman of the Constitutional Court on September 13, reports a correspondent of "proUA".

The Constitutional Court's decision is binding, final, and not subject to appeal.

Ten judges voted in favor of adopting this decision, four opposed, and one other judge expressed a separate opinion.

As the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mykola Selivon, reported at a press conference, the consideration of this draft law in the Constitutional Court was quite difficult. The judges of the Constitutional Court expressed a number of reservations regarding certain provisions of the draft law. In particular, the judges consider the mechanism for bringing this draft law into effect to be imperfect. The draft law provides that "This Law shall enter into force on the day of the regular elections to local councils of the fifth convocation in March 2006." "The mechanism for bringing the draft law into effect is unrealistic, since it is impossible to change the territorial-administrative system in one day," noted Mykola Selivon. In the opinion of the Constitutional Court, it would be advisable for the Law to define the mechanism for the functioning of district state administrations and local self-government bodies until the formation of a new composition of local councils and other local self-government bodies in accordance with this law.

Selivon noted that draft law No. 3207-1 is aimed at strengthening the system of local self-government in Ukraine. In particular, according to him, the idea of the draft law is that throughout the entire territory of Ukraine, matters of local significance should be resolved by local councils and executive bodies. The draft law introduces changes to the administrative-territorial system, specifically abolishing such administrative-territorial units as village, settlement, and city, instead of which a new administrative unit is introduced — the community. In addition, the draft law provides for the right of local self-government bodies to create executive bodies.