By December, the first local elections should take place in amalgamated hromadas formed this year. This will allow AHs to transfer to direct interbudgetary relations from January 2020, said Vyacheslav Nehoda, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Communal Services, in his comment to journalists.

According to him, 60 amalgamated hromadas are awaiting the decision of the Central Election Commission to appoint the first local elections on their territory. Relevant appeals from oblast state administrations continue to be sent to the CEC every week.

“According to the data received by MinRegion from the oblast state administrations and Local Self-Government Development Centres, appeals on 60 AHs are already under CEC’s consideration. Appeals on 4 AHs are “on their way” to the Central Election Commission. Another 39 AHs are making the final decisions on amalgamation. 25 AHs are waiting for conclusions from oblast state administrations,” said the First Deputy Minister.

Vyacheslav Nehoda expressed his hope that the CEC will soon consider the election request and make its decision.

"More than a hundred newly formed amalgamated hromadas are set to hold their first local elections this year. Ideally – in October or at the latest – by December. In this way, hromadas will have the opportunity to switch to direct budgetary relations with the state budget and to fully manage their territories in a new format,” the First Deputy Minister commented.

Since time is short, Vyacheslav Nehoda urged hromadas to speed up the process of final decisions on amalgamation, and oblast state administrations to adhere to the legislative deadlines to reach conclusions on the conformity of such decisions with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine and to send appeals to the CEC.

“There is no point in holding such elections in 2020, when the process of voluntary formation of capable hromadas is completed and regular local elections on the new territorial basis of hromadas and rayons will take place in the autumn. In fact, these will be the last elections in amalgamated hromadas of such a format,” Vyacheslav Nehoda added.