The process of reforming the All-Ukrainian Association of Village and Settlement Councils (VASSR) into the All-Ukrainian Association of Self-Governing Hromadas has begun.

VASSR representatives announced this during a briefing at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Centre.

Association, which comprises more than 80% of village and settlement councils, including the majority of local councils of amalgamated hromadas (by succession), remains a nationwide association of territorial hromadas, with rural development as its priority – hromadas with centres in towns, settlements and villages.

“The Association is ready to reform along with its members: village, settlement councils become self-governing hromadas or parts of them – the All-Ukrainian Association of Village and Settlement Councils becomes the All-Ukrainian Association of Self-Governing Hromadas,” said the Association representative.

The VASSR also welcomed intentions of new Ukrainian authorities to continue and complete decentralisation. The Association is ready both to support the authorities' efforts to continue the reform and to hold discussions with the authorities, if their actions do not serve hromadas’ interests.

The Association is preparing an appeal to the new Ukrainian authorities, which will formulate the its stance on key issues of the reform: the format of hromadas’ amalgamation, distribution of public finances, resolution of land issue, representation in local authorities.

More video from the briefing can be found here: http://uacrisis.org/ua/72998-vassr-on-decentralization-reform#prettyPhoto