The uneasy debates on whether hromadas should amalgamate were held in the city of Yampil, Vinnytsia Oblast. The “AGAINST” party told “horror stories”, did not notice the obvious things and still stood to their ground.

By Dmytro Synyak

Lost round

At the end of the debates the “AGAINST” party stated that they did not renounce their convictions, although the arguments of the “FOR” party could not but be heard.

 

 

“I think that those, who are currently not accepting the reform, simply oppose novelties.” said Oksana Harnets, head of the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralisation Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO). “But the next step will necessarily be to analyse and accept these changes. The reform is irreversible. Therefore, it is better to join it and even lead it rather than to stay aside, waiting for someone to make a decision for you.”

 

 

The argument about the infrastructure subvention funds, not received by three rayons, represented by the “AGAINST” side, had almost no impact.

The argument about incapacity of small hromadas has not passed as well.

No horrible horror stories

The “AGAINST” side also repeatedly mentioned the old horror stories, which their opponents almost did not pay attention to. For example, Tetyana Kolun noted that the hromada of her village opposes joining the city of Mohyliv-Podilskyi, because now children’s way to school makes 300 metres, and after its closure after amalgamation, they will have to go too far.

 

“It is up to hromada to decide whether to close the school or not,” added Vitaliy Hodnyi. “There are two small schools in the Tomashpilska AH with 50 pupils in each. And their closure is not even mentioned. Parents have decided this way – that’s it!

Author’s comments

First of all, the process of reducing the number of village councils and underfilled schools will go independently of power decentralisation. Secondly, if the village council and a school are the largest employers in the village, then such a village will fail in any case. Thirdly, people in AHs decide on their own whether they need a small school and five employees in the village council.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE

Further information on the Yampil debates to be featured in the following materials of decentralisation.gov.ua

More information on DESPRO debates is available HERE