President of Association of Local and Regional Authorities Sergiy Chernov: “To Convert Local Self-Government into the Effective Institute of Democracy”

We speak with the newly elected president of Ukrainian association of local and regional authorities, chairman of the Kharkiv regional council Sergiy CHERNOV about how to attain it.

– You have an outstanding experience both in the organs of executive power and in the organs of local self-government. Which tasks do you have intention to realize in the future? 

– All citizens, above all things prevailing authorities, have to be convinced that the organs of local self-government is not the opposition to the executive power. Therefore any reformation is to be carried out in the context of unity of these imperious branches. However, presently the absence of the clear distributing of plenary powers prevents to work more effectively. It became noticeable when we faced the proportional electoral system, all its negative moments and contradictions marked foremost at the legislative level. This is the most important, and we should start with this.

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Ukrainian association of local and regional authorities (UALRA) was founded in September, 1991, when the Association of related cities of Ukraine the name of which in a year was changed to the present one. Already in October, 1992 the association was included to the register of the European associations and unions that gave the possibility to get separate official materials and take part in the arrangements organized by the Congress of local and regional authorities of Europe. 

In April, 2002 the UALRA together with the Association of village, settlement and city councils, the Association of cities of Ukraine and the Union of leaders of local and regional authorities of Ukraine signed constituent Agreement On the Creation of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Ukraine. In July, 2010 Ukrainian Association of Local and Regional Authorities began half-year chairmanship at this congress which puts by a purpose to consolidate the organs of local self-government of all levels for providing of more effective collaboration with the central organs of power.