The "Holos Ukrayiny" newspaper of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, in issue No. 70 dated 15 April 2017, published the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding the Peculiarities of Voluntary Amalgamation of Territorial Communities Located in the Territories of Neighbouring Rayons (Districts)".

The expectations of the beginning of a new and better life of more than 30 amalgamated territorial communities are attributable to that document (you can see the list of the amalgamated territorial communities HERE). The Central Election Commission failed to call the first local elections in the amalgamated communities located in the territories of neighbouring Rayons (Districts) because it specifically construed the applicable laws and the Constitution of Ukraine.   

According to First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Viacheslav Nehoda, the Central Election Commission should resume the consideration of the matters pertaining to calling the first elections in those communities subject to the law.

"I expect that, with this Law in place, any unwarranted restrictions of rights will be over, which restrictions pertain to those amalgamated communities comprising settlements of any neighbouring Rayons (Districts) or which have amalgamated with the cities of Oblast (Regional) subordinance and where approximately 400 thousand residents leave. If, not long ago, the Central Election Commission required that additional legal grounds should be provided to it to call the first local elections, now it has obtained such legal grounds. I would like to believe that this time the Commission will not look for any new pretexts and will not delay in passing affirmative resolutions and will call the first elections in the nearest future in those communities which have been waiting for such event for a year, and some of them, for two years. Those resolutions will be also a signal for other communities planning to amalgamate with or accede to the existing amalgamated territorial communities within the boundaries of neighbouring Rayons (Districts)", Viacheslav Nehoda said.