First Deputy Rada Chief elaborates on terms of finalizing decentralization bill

The final text of the draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine in terms of decentralization could be developed as early as this February.

Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and head of the working group on preparation of comprehensive legislative proposals on amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine concerning decentralization, made the relevant statement on Rada TV, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Now it’s necessary for our colleagues from the Committee on Legal Policy, the Committee for Self-Government and State-Building to do some work. I believe they will finalize the draft in February," he said.

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The first vice speaker stressed that the relevant project had been discussed with local government officials for the past two years. At the same time, he added that more proposals could still be submitted to him.

As reported, on December 13, 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky registered in the Verkhovna Rada Bill No. 2598 "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (on decentralization of power)."

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy recommended that the presidential bill be forwarded to the Constitutional Court.

However, on January 17, 2020, the President withdrew the bill for further revision following consultations with the leadership of the ruling Servant of the People faction. Since then, work has continued on developing a new version of the amendments.

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