The Ukrainian government is ready to conduct constitutional reform that will abolish regional and district state administrations, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said. "The Ukrainian government is ready to conduct comprehensive constitutional reform that will strengthen the regions' powers and abolish regional and district state administrations," he said in a televised address on April 17.
The prime minister noted that to provide the territorial communities
with adequate funding, the government is ready to change the Budget and
Tax Codes.
According to Yatseniuk, this will allow filling each Ukrainian territory with economic and financial resources.
In turn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, acting President Oleksandr
Turchynov said: “The state leadership with the support of the majority
in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will make every effort to urgently
consider the relevant amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine and to
hold the reform of the local government and government agencies in the
regions, to ensure the decentralization of power and extending the
powers of territorial communities, the formation of executive agencies
by local councils instead of state administrations, the provision of the
necessary financial resources for the regions and the implementation of
effective mechanisms for the participation of the public in
decision-making by local authorities.”
The Verkhovna Rada on April 18 was unable to reach an agreement
concerning the text of a memorandum pledging a peaceful settlement in
eastern Ukraine. Members of the factions of the Party of Regions and the
Communist Party refused to sign the document.
Key provisions of the memorandum are contained in the statement,
which on behalf of the majority of MPs was signed by Acting President,
Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy
Yatseniuk.
