Rayons are formed for the purpose of organizing an efficient executive power system – that is a key message of the conversation about myths and reality of the new administrative and territorial arrangement of Ukraine prior to 2020 regular election.

Why is it prestigious for hromadas to be a rayon centre? What are the negative aspects of such a status? What methods are the basis for the hromadas division into rayons? Will it be possible to change the rayon borders following the elections? What is risky about such an opportunity? These are the questions answered by participants of the open dialogue with the local self-government and public representatives “Myths and reality of the new administrative and territorial arrangement of Ukraine”.

130 local self-government representatives took part in the discussion, including heads, deputy heads and secretaries of local councils, department heads of the executive committees, representatives of rayon councils and district state administrations, regional councils and regional state administrations, representatives of international technical aid projects, associate professors, professors, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs and representatives of local self-government associations. More than 7,5 thousand people joined the stream footage in Facebook and Youtube.

The event was held within the local self-government and power territorial arrangement reform communication, initiated by the MinRegion and the Committee of the State Power, Local Self-Government Organisation, Regional and Urban Development, supported by the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre and the USAID DOBRE Programme.