The team of the Donetsk Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme, discussed whether it is necessary to change the previously approved Perspective Plan to accelerate the process of formation of AHs in the southern part of the Donetsk Oblast.

A working trip to the south of the region began with a visit to the city of Vuhledar. Speaking with Volodymyr Ivanytskyi, secretary of the Vuhledar City Council, the experts of the Donetsk LGDC drew attention to the fact that the city of oblast significance can now take advantage of the benefits provided by the draft law 6466, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. Vuhledar can address the neighbouring rural and settlement hromadas and accelerate accession process. If the procedure is initiated immediately after the law comes into force, the Vuhledarska AH can be formed by autumn. The advisers of the Donetsk LGDC are ready to provide counseling assistance both in the process of villages’ accession to the city, and in reorganising the structure of the councils that will access the city.

There are three hromadas established in the Volnovakha Rayon – the Volnovaska, Olhynska and Khlibodarivska AHs, but they did not hold their first elections of councils and heads of the AHs. One of the reasons is the unregulated legislation on who should announce the elections: the Central Electoral Commission or the Verkhovna Rada, which in 2015 decided not to hold elections here. The second reason is that some of the settlements in the Volnovakha Rayon are on the collision line, which threatens the safety of the elections.

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