Odessa Regional Council appealed to the government, Verkhovna Rada and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with a request not to lift the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land, in force since 2001. The appeal text was approved at an extraordinary session of the regional council by 55 votes out of 84.
“We, the deputies of the Odessa Regional Council, and probably the Ukrainians in general, are contacting you about the announced sale of Ukrainian lands,” the document says.
The appeal emphasizes that the deputies of the regional council are extremely concerned about the draft law on land reform, approved in September by the Ukrainian government. This initiative also includes the possibility of acquiring agricultural land by foreigners.
However, citizens of foreign states must be registered as legal entities in Ukraine and pay taxes in the country of registration. This provision of land reform was specifically clarified in an interview with ICTV by Prime Minister Alexei Goncharuk.
The planned changes were also commented by the President of Ukraine. At a meeting with farmers on September 19, Zelensky emphasized that “land is the property of citizens” in Ukraine. He ridiculed "horror stories about the Chinese, about Arabs or aliens who will take our land by wagons" after the entry into force of land reform.
"We believe that the adoption of the bill will lead to the collapse of our independence and is a direct threat to the sovereignty of Ukraine - the basic principles enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine," say deputies of the Odessa regional council.
In their opinion, the adoption of the law will lead to "total purchase of Ukrainian agricultural land by foreigners, which will result in the destruction of Ukrainian farmers, the decline of the village, and the promotion of economic degradation and social tension."
Recall that in the Odessa region there have already been protests against the bill on the abolition of the moratorium on the sale of land. About a thousand people on September 20 lined up along the Kiev - Odessa highway with posters condemning land reform. According to the organizers of the action, people from different regions of Ukraine participated in it.
“The fears are understandable.”
The bill on land reform will be considered in October, said Verkhovna Rada speaker Dmitry Razumkov. Meanwhile, many members of parliament support the position of the Odessa Regional Council.
- Odessa State Administration Building
- © oblrada.odessa.gov.ua
“Land reform is chaos. There is no normal land registry, the rules for the sale of land have not yet been approved. Zelensky says that foreigners will not be able to buy Ukrainian land. But this norm is simply enough to get around: it is enough to acquire a Ukrainian legal entity. So the fears of deputies of the Odessa regional council are quite understandable, ”says a RT source in the Batkivshchyna party.
Supporters of Petro Poroshenko are also unhappy with the land reform. So, the interlocutor of RT from the party “European Solidarity”, believes that Zelensky by his actions can not only split the parliament, but also provoke a new wave of street demonstrations.
“In the fall, protest sentiment rises. You have to be a very naive politician in order to simultaneously decide on the sale of agricultural land and approve the Stanmeier formula. Apparently, Zelensky expects that all of Ukraine will come to Kiev on Maidan, ”said the deputy from European Solidarity.
In the supporting Zelensky party, “Servant of the People”, however, emphasize that the head of state is determined to carry out land reform, and they approve of his decision.
“The President understands that it is necessary to improve the standard of living of the population. Too much hope was placed on the new head of state. But the state budget can receive money only from the sale of assets, and therefore it was decided to sell the land. In addition, Zelensky promised to take this step to Western partners, ”said the deputy.
“The authorities are interested in reform”
Experts note that, by plotting land reform, the president of Ukraine is at great risk. Director of the Ukrainian Institute for Analysis and Policy Management Ruslan Bortnik in an interview with RT recalled that the Ukrainian society as a whole does not approve of the reform.
“Agrarian oligarchs are also heating up public discontent. They are used to using land through leasing mechanisms and are not interested in Western competitors who will have access to cheap Western credit resources, ”the expert said.
- Residents of the Ukrainian village harvest
- Reuters
- © Gleb Garanich
Rostislav Ishchenko, President of the Center for System Analysis and Forecasting, in an interview with RT, notes that opposition parties are already actively using dissatisfaction with land reform.
“They are gaining points on this. I think that many political forces dissatisfied with Zelensky will pedal this topic. The deputies of the regional council are neither the first nor the last to oppose the land bill, ”Ishchenko believes.
Ruslan Bortnik admits that the adoption of the land bill could be a catalyst for protests against the current president.
“So far, Zelensky’s team is losing communication with the public on the issue of land reform. Perhaps it should be put to a referendum, or still limit the circle of people who can acquire Ukrainian land, ”said Bortnik.
However, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Zharikhin in an interview with RT very skeptical about the prospects that Zelensky would agree to put the bill on land reform to a referendum.
“In The Servant of the People, of course, there are supporters of maintaining a moratorium on the sale of land. But Zelensky and those who brought him to power are interested in land reform. The Ukrainian authorities will definitely not hold a referendum, which could stop it, ”Zharikhin said.
Experts have no doubt that, despite all the possible difficulties, the president and his team will not abandon land reform.
Ruslan Bortnik notes that the IMF is putting forward the demand to lift the moratorium on the sale of land, which Zelensky is counting on support for. In turn, Vladimir Zharikhin draws attention to the connection of the environment of the current Ukrainian president with transnational corporations interested in buying up foreign assets. Rostislav Ishchenko recalls that the purchase of agricultural land may be beneficial to its current actual owners - large capital - both Ukrainian and foreign.
“To deputies of the Odessa regional council who are afraid that they will sell Ukraine, I think it's too late to worry. Everything that foreigners wanted to buy up, they bought it a long time ago, only it looks like a long-term lease. When they pass the land law, they will simply officially acquire what they already actually own, ”Ishchenko concludes.