Decentralization fundamentally changes political system of Ukraine

In a video address the praised the vote as an important step toward fulfilling the peace agreement. He condemned the demonstration that followed as a “stab in the back,” promising tough punishments for those involved. The President said that Ukraine confirmed its reputation as a reliable partner and strengthened the image of the country that fulfills Minsk agreements in contrast to Russia. As reported earlier, on Monday the parliament approved a bill introducing the constitutional amendments related to decentralisation. The bill is part of Kyiv’s obligations under the February Minsk peace accords. 265 lawmakers supported the bill, however it still requires approval by at least 300 of parliament’s 450 deputies to be ratified as a constitutional amendment.  The draft law organizes local governments into three tiers: from the community to county to region. It introduces prefects for regions and counties which are tasked with coordinating local and state authorities and controlling the legality of county and regional councils’ decrees. Other important amendments include local referendums on key issues of the community and a guarantee that any increase in local powers would be followed with an increase of local budget. The law has controversial provisions like amnesty and “local militias” but will not come into effect before Ukrainian border control is restored, Russian troops pull out and elections under Ukrainian law take place.