Applications for calling the first elections of local chairpersons and members of councils in  80 amalgamated territorial communities are to be considered by the Central Elections Commission, which communities are composed of 400 former local councils.

It was so said by First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Viacheslav Nehoda, commenting the results of monitoring of the status of formation of amalgamated communities in Ukraine, which monitoring was carried out by the Ministry of Regional Development.

"Over the recent week, seven more amalgamated communities have completed all formation procedures, and now there are 80 ATCs waiting for the first elections of local chairpersons and members of councils to be called. However, the matter of financing those elections has not been resolved so far. The Government has reallocated some state budget expenditures and appropriated almost UAH 13 million to the Central Elections Commission. Those funds will be sufficient to hold elections in 30 to 40 communities only. And I believe that those elections have to be called rather than we wait until amendments are made to the state budget regarding the appropriation of all required funds, approximately UAH 80 million. Communities are amalgamating every day thus confirming that they have believed the reform, therefore the governmental authorities have also to offer continuous support to them and do not delay their decisions", Viacheslav Nehoda said.

The largest number of amalgamated communities that are already waiting for the decision to be made by the Central Elections Commission is 10 in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (region), 9 in Chernihiv, 8 in Poltava, 7 in Cherkasy, 5 in each of Volynska and Kherson Oblasts.

In general, according to the results of the monitoring carried out by the Ministry of Regional Development, as of 26 May, 160 amalgamated communities are at the final stages of their formation: 80 ATCs are waiting for the decision to be made by the Central Elections Commission, Oblast State Administrations are preparing applications with respect to 12 ATCs, which applications are to be filed with the Central Elections Commission, 47 ATCs are making their final decisions on the amalgamation, 21 ATCs are waiting for the opinion to be prepared by Oblast State Administrations.

As it was reported Viacheslav Nehoda expressed his hope earlier that the Parliament would approve amendments to the state budget and make provision for costs for holding the first local elections in the amalgamated territorial communities as soon as possible.

You can find more information about the process of formation of amalgamated communities in 2017 HERE