The Motherland reported the halting of the offensive against local self-government thanks to its efforts

Thanks to the efforts of the Batkivshchyna faction, it was possible to halt the attempts by the pro-government majority to strengthen authoritarianism in Ukraine and limit the autonomy of local self-government. Bill No. 13150 was not only rejected but also removed from the agenda, as representatives of the political force reported.

The Batkivshchyna faction opposed it, and the party leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, called on deputies not to support the bill, as it contradicted democratic principles. According to her, the document establishes strict control by the heads of regional state administrations (RSA) over the decisions of local communities, which contradicts the European Charter of Local Self-Government. Tymoshenko emphasized that such changes could jeopardize Ukraine’s European integration.

She noted: “Every deputy who votes ‘for’ this legislative initiative today is actually voting for the destruction of local self-government in Ukraine and for closing the door to the EU.” Tymoshenko also mentioned the union of local government associations that opposed this bill.

The leader of “Batkivshchyna” focused on the dangerous aspects of the bill, which proposes that deputies from the “Servant of the People” faction give the head of the regional state administration the right to cancel decisions of local authorities, as well as regional representations of central bodies, such as ministries and law enforcement agencies.

“This bill exacerbates authoritarianism to such a level that local self-government bodies are turning into inappropriate structures, completely under the control of the head of the regional state administration… A unique system is proposed, where the head of the regional state administration coordinates all central government bodies on its territory, including the prosecutor’s office, the police, and the SBU. Should we permit corrupt officials from the regional state administration to oversee law enforcement agencies? This is not just a conflict of interest, but also a threat to state institutions,” Tymoshenko explained.

She also noted that the creation of a single state register of all acts of local authorities in wartime is unacceptable. The fact that such a database could become accessible to the enemy is of great concern.

“You know that databases are a tool for governing the country. And it is proposed to create a register of local government decisions without any protection, which will be outsourced to private companies. Who gave you the right to destroy the state management system by distributing databases?” she asked.

According to Tymoshenko, all provisions of the bill contradict the principles of building a European state and undermine the independence of local government bodies. As a result of the “reforms” of the government over the past two years, more than 1,600 villages have been liquidated in Ukraine.

Deputy leader of the “Batkivshchyna” party, Valery Dubil, emphasized that in the conditions of the struggle for freedom, attempts to limit local self-government are inappropriate. “True development is possible only on condition that communities independently choose their priorities. “The bill that restricts these processes threatens the very existence of local self-government in Ukraine. Strong communities are a strong country, and this is how we should build a state,” he noted.