In 2020, local elections should take place provided that the whole territory of Ukraine is covered by united communities - President

During a speech at the Regional Development Council, President Petro Poroshenko emphasized the importance of the formation of united territorial communities throughout Ukraine until the local elections in 2020.

"In 2014, we set ambitious goals - to make a decentralization reform and break once and for all with the centralized Soviet system. To give power and resources to the community. Today, when we are somewhere on the equator of this reform, we must set similar ambitious goals and objectives," Petro Poroshenko said.

"We must see the horizons of the reform. 2020 is crucial. In 2020, local elections should take place provided that the whole territory of Ukraine is covered by united communities,” the President emphasized.

The President stressed that maximum encouragement should be provided to the further unification of territorial communities. In turn, the Verkhovna Rada has to adopt an extremely important draft law on the principles of administrative-territorial order.

"We must discuss it, get social support and accept it. It approves a community as a basic administrative-territorial unit of the state. We are bringing power to people. Our actions, actions of the authorities should be absolutely clear," the President emphasized.

The Head of State noted that in 2019, all promising plans of regions with full coverage of the united territorial communities throughout the territory of Ukraine should be formed.

"In 2020, we must take an administrative decision on the unification of communities that have not found any desire, aspiration or ability to unite in four years. People cannot suffer from the fact that nobody is able to ensure unification by 2020. Why do they have to live in worse conditions than those in the united territorial communities? We have not been putting pressure for four years, we have been only fiscally encouraging. But nobody can act against the interests of the community, the interests of people,” Petro Poroshenko said.

"This will happen in accordance with the will of people, so that nobody is hostage. This will happen in accordance with the long-term plans approved by the regional councils. We must complete the key stage of the reform so that all Ukrainian citizens finally have equal access to high-quality services in education, medicine and social sphere," he added.

The President recalled that 865 united territorial communities have already been formed on a voluntary basis.

The Head of State said that today, the united territorial communities cover already 24% of the population and 37% of the total area of Ukraine. "They have a stronger financial base now. At the same time, 99 districts have not created any united community. I want to emphasize that it is completely unacceptable," the President noted.