Local elections: what king of pre-election autumn we are going to have

Although there are only 7 months left to local elections in Ukraine, the newly-elected Parliament made no substantial changes to secure their conduct on a high level of quality and in accordance with international democratic standards for the last 3 months of its activities. Therefore, a roundtable was held on 12 March in Kyiv, dedicated to local elections. The roundtable was initiated by the VRU Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice, a group of NGO consisting of Civil Network OPORA, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Election Law Institute, Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR), Internews-Ukraine, and Reanimation Package of Reforms (RPR). Election law experts have presented new concepts of law on local elections on the event, and discussed the next reform steps with MPs of Ukraine, members of the CEC, and representatives of international organizations.

CONCEPT of the new law on local elections

According to the Coalition Agreement concluded between parliamentary majority factions in the end of November, a new law on parliamentary elections establishing open-list proportional representation system should be adopted and the law on local elections should be amended before the end of the first half of the year. In particular, it is planned to introduce an open-list proportional representation system for elections to city and oblast councils, and a two-round, absolute majority system for election of mayors in big cities. Three documents were presented on the event: concept of amendments to the law on local elections, developed by the Civil Network OPORA, UCIPR, and Internews-Ukraine, another concept developed by the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, and draft law on local elections developed by request of the Cities of Ukraine Association.

Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Оksana Syroid (Samopomich) made a welcome speech on the roundtable and mentioned that the Parliament delays election law reform and that decentralization principles should be included in the corresponding amendments. Andrii Mahera, Deputy Head of the CEC agreed with her and emphasized: "There is no cheap democracy. We must make the administrative system right."

On one side, Electoral and Parliamentary Programs Coordinator at the Civil Network OPORA Olha Aivazovska has emphasized that laws on parliamentary and on local elections are not being reformed despite such reforming is provided by the Coalition Agreement, and besides the ruling majority can lose people's trust as a result, there can also be other political and legal consequences. On the other side, MPs Oleh Kupriienko (the Radical Party) and Ruslan Sydorovych (Samopomich) expressed the following opinion: the Coalition Agreement is not a dogma and it should be adapted to the current political situation.

MP Serhii Soboliev (Batkivshchyna), believes that the determination of authorities and powers of local government bodies is number one issue, and the election system goes after it.  At the same time, Development director of the Internews-Ukraine Yevhen Radchenko has emphasized that switch to the open list proportional system will facilitate party development and prevent voter bribery and political corruption. 

Finally, the Head of the VRU Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice Ruslan Kniazevych (Petro Poroshenko Block) expressed gratitude to experts and the civil society for fruitful cooperation and emphasized that the Committee will continue developing a consolidated draft amendments to the law on local elections, and is going to attract the experts to this process.