The Verkhovna Rada’s vote to extend the powers of local authorities is both a sign of institutional stability and a potential threat of corruption. This opinion was expressed by experts during a discussion on the legitimacy of extending the term of local councils, as well as the possible legal consequences and political risks of this step.
“No one is expecting the war to end tomorrow, so the issue of extending the powers of local councils is debatable. One can criticize this decision, but one can also say that, given the current circumstances, the deputies did what was necessary to signal to foreign partners and Ukrainian society that there is continuity of power in Ukraine and that there is no power vacuum. On the other hand, there are shameful practices that many representatives of the deputy corps have shown in terms of corruption and abuse, and, unfortunately, this decision, in addition to confirming the legitimacy of local authorities, empowers looters, swindlers, schemers, and many representatives of the authorities to continue their machinations and abuses,” said Oleksiy Usachov, chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Politics Institute and political consultant, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday.
Gatne village head Oleksandr Palamarchuk, in turn, drew attention to the actual paralysis of the normal electoral process.
“Today, it is very difficult and almost impossible to hold elections during the war. First of all, because many people, local residents, are fighting, many have left the country or moved to other regions. In addition, holding elections during bombings and drone strikes puts a large number of people at risk. Therefore, yesterday’s vote by the Verkhovna Rada confirms the logical actions during a full-scale war in Ukraine,” he said.
According to local government expert Ivan Fursenko, it is impossible to hold representative elections without ending the hostilities and updating demographic data.
“The extension of the powers of local councils is an absolutely logical decision by the Verkhovna Rada, since both the President of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada itself continue to perform their functions. It would be a big surprise to our international partners if local authorities ceased their powers and we began to prepare for elections. The problem lies not only in security, but also in the fact that, unfortunately, we do not have complete data: how many people are internally displaced, how many have left the country, where they are, and how to organize the electoral process,” Fursenko emphasized.
Lawyer and member of parliament in the 5th and 6th convocations Valery Bondik, in turn, drew the attention of the participants in the discussion to the fact that the extension of the term of office does not relieve local councils of their responsibilities.
“It is now a matter of debate that local councils will not be elected, but there are reasons and grounds for this — there is a war going on, no census has been conducted, etc. We can endure this, but at the same time, local councils must work responsibly. They cannot be eternal and must understand that before completing their work, they must report to the people. Because when the authorities report to the people, this is the main lever that can be used to influence the authorities, who sometimes abuse their constitutional powers,” he added.
Veteran Oleksandr Magdych expressed a critical attitude towards the extension of powers without elections, instead proposing participation in combat operations as a moral criterion.
“If the Verkhovna Rada wanted us to live in justice, to raise morale and mobilization rates, it would have been necessary to immediately adopt amendments to the legislation and say: in the next elections, only those who directly participated in combat operations can run for deputies of village, city, and regional councils. That would be wonderful and fair. This is my wish and that of our veteran community,” he emphasized.
The press conference was organized by the My Kyiv Region Information Agency, the Ukrainian Politics Institute, the Ukrainian Community Charitable Foundation, and the Active Group sociological company.
MY KYIV REGION, OLEKSII USACHOV
