The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) intends to assist Ukraine in improving the activities of local governments.
Currently, the country is already working on two American programs on a given topic - "Decentralization - the path to better results and efficiency" and "Local government policy in Ukraine".
The new USAID Local Governance and Accountability Initiative is expected to be implemented within five years.
The agency is ready to allocate up to $ 75 million for its implementation.
“The purpose of the contract is to receive technical assistance services for the development of self-sufficient local governance in Ukraine, including in such matters as legislative reforms, the creation of a strategic planning methodology based on broad participation of society, improvement of services, local economic development, participation of civil society and building the capacity of regional authorities, "- follows from the document, which RT got acquainted with.
It is worth emphasizing that not only the United States, but also its foreign partners are engaged in the "development" of local self-government in Ukraine.
For example, USAID clarified that the contractor who passed the competitive selection will have to “comprehensively cooperate” with specialized projects in the country, financed by “other sponsors” - the European Union, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and others.
In addition, in the course of the work, the contractor will need to interact with the authorities of Ukraine - both central and local.
"During the period of the contract, USAID / USAID's contracted representative will periodically review performance indicators to track progress and achieve the results required under this contract," the agency added.
In this case, we are talking about the implementation of the "American idea" of how the system of organizing local self-government in a given country should look like, says Vasily Stoyakin, director of the Center for Political Marketing.
American Democracy presupposes a certain set of tools and values.
They have their own idea of the beautiful, in particular, about how local government should look like, what powers of local government should be.
Within the framework of this system, the Americans offer this kind of reforms to absolutely everyone, and without looking at who it is - Ukraine or Nigeria, ”the expert explained in a conversation with RT.
In turn, the head of the Center for Systems Analysis and Forecasting Rostislav Ishchenko recalled that USAID has been providing all kinds of assistance to Ukraine for many years, however, despite this, it is not necessary to say that the agency's activities have a positive effect.
“If some office has been working to promote democracy in the country for 30 years, and democracy is getting smaller and smaller, just like civil society, then it’s probably better not to work for it,” he said in an interview with RT ...
Decentralization reform
Over the past several years, the Ukrainian authorities have been actively working on a decentralization reform, which, according to Kiev's position, is largely aimed at expanding the capabilities of local governments and changing the country's administrative and territorial structure.
In December 2019, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent to the Verkhovna Rada a bill "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding the decentralization of power)."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
Reuters
© Leonhard Foeger
The document, among other things, assumed the introduction of the following list of administrative-territorial units: communities, districts and regions with their subsequent consolidation.
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea was singled out as a separate item in the list.
In addition, the project presented by Zelensky provided for the creation of the institute of the prefect, which has control functions in the regions, and did not include provisions on the special status of Donbass, which is enshrined in the Minsk agreements.
According to analysts, the innovations presented by the country's leadership only strengthen the powers of the center, by no means endowing them with the regional authorities.
This position is adhered to, in particular, by the scientific director of the Center for Ethnic and International Studies Anton Bredikhin.
“This reform is aimed at ensuring that the center is assigned the functions of tighter control over municipalities.
The result will be a situation when “democracy” will be dealt with not locally, but at a broader level.
The decisions will be made not by the population of a certain settlement, but by the heads of the districts that will remain after this reform - the districts of larger ones - that is, more distant from these very settlements, from their inhabitants.
The consequence of this reform will not be a transition to a more democratic governance, but on the contrary, and as such there will be no benefit to the population.
Thanks to this reform, the authorities are moving away from democracy to a more authoritarian system of governance, including by municipalities directly from Kiev, "the expert said in a conversation with RT.
The building of the Lviv Regional State Administration is decorated with traditional flowers in Lviv on Embroidery Day
RIA News
Against the background of statements related to the so-called decentralization, Zelensky continues to exert significant influence on local governments, added political scientist Ivan Mezyukho.
"Zelensky talked a lot about the need to develop local self-government bodies, but in fact he behaves like a hetman who travels around his possessions, gives instructions, interfering with the work of local authorities," the expert said in an interview with RT.
The special status of Donbass or the status quo
In January of this year, Zelensky withdrew the draft law he had submitted to the Rada "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding the decentralization of power)" and sent it for revision.
The new version of the document, according to the deputy head of the Servant of the People faction, Yevhenia Kravchuk, may be submitted to parliament for consideration after the local elections to be held on October 25.
“Coronavirus made adjustments, because discussions were moved online and it all dragged on.
But I think that this is a matter of months, somewhere closer to winter, after the elections, it will be introduced.
Actually, it just needs to be brought in to be sent to the Constitutional Court.
If he gives a quick answer, then at this session it will be possible to vote with 226 votes, and at the next session already seek 300 votes, ”she said.
It is still unknown what the text of the draft law revised by the Zelensky team looks like, but it is obvious that the position of the Ukrainian side on introducing provisions on the special status of Donbass into the Constitution has not changed.
This, citing the Ukrainian leader, was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexei Reznikov.
“There will be no changes to the Constitution of Ukraine on the inclusion of any special status there ... This is excluded.
Also, the president has repeatedly said that the Minsk agreements require changes.
This is the position that we defend in the Trilateral Contact Group, ”he explained.
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov
RIA News
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that under the current government of Ukraine, one should not expect any progress on the implementation of the points of the Minsk agreements.
This opinion was expressed by the head of the Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov.
“I do not think that under the current Ukrainian government, as well as under the previous president, there will be any progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
If only because President Zelensky himself speaks publicly about this, Deputy Prime Minister Reznikov, who is responsible for work in the contact group, speaks about it publicly, ”the minister said.
Kiev has not recognized the Minsk agreements for a long time and will strive to revise the agreements, added Anton Bredikhin.
“Ukraine will not only fail to implement the Minsk agreements - on the contrary, it will strive to ensure that either a new document is created, on the basis of which there can be some further actions, or nothing will be created at all, but there will be a status quo, which Kiev suits in economic, ideological and electoral terms, "the expert summed up.