The local self-government reform through the eyes of starosta, who impressed with her speech: “Amalgamated hromada provides an opportunity to focus on intellectual potential, converting this most valuable asset of society into development.”

By Dmytro Synyak

During the debates on “Why Should Hromadas Amalgamate”, held in Poltava by the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Decentralisation Support in Ukraine” (DESPRO), one passionate speech raised the active reaction in the hall. It was delivered from place by Tamara Kyrian, starosta of the Pyrohy Starosta District of the Hlobynska AH. It was clear that the reform was not something remote and distant for her, but her personal key to solving many problems that had troubled her village for a long time.

“By working as a starosta since 2015, I became convinced that we should amalgamate, and very quickly. I convened the most active people in the village, involved private business sector, teachers, doctors and told them: “Let's do something!” And they replied: “We do not have money or powers”. And when I learned about the possibility of amalgamation, I immediately realised: here is the way out! Here is an opportunity to solve all our global problems, since after amalgamation the village council gets the financial and human resources it could not have before.

Next point: villagers should receive services of the same quality as in the city. They are worthy of this.

Subsequently, I looked through the Perspective Plan and realised that our rayon could be really powerful, because it has four promising points of growth, around which all other settlements should unite.

At the end of her speech, Ms. Kyrian said that she considers those, who openly oppose amalgamation during the debates, “good heads of amalgamated hromadas”.

“You are brave and determined, otherwise you would not dare to come to this stage. And these are the qualities of real leaders,” said Tamara Kyrian.

Tamara Kyrian’s speech: 1:50:25 – 1:54:25

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE