The status of local self-government bodies will be returned to village administrations

The Supreme Council held public hearings on the status of local administrations of villages and towns. Deputies of the Committee on State Regional Policy together with representatives of local authorities of districts and rural settlements within the second reading discussed amendments to the law "On local authorities, local government and state administration in Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic".

Powers of local authorities in the republic were determined in 1995 with the adoption of the relevant law. In villages the chairman of the village council was elected among local deputies, he also headed the executive body of local self-government - the administration of the settlement. The problem appeared in 2008 after the signing of the decree of the President on the introduction of administrative and territorial offices in the village in the executive bodies of state power, which in fact replaced the role of the executive body of local self-government and strengthened the vertical of the executive state power. In practice, the heads of village administrations began to occupy positions that were not comparable by law - elective and appointed. In 2009, the decision of the Constitutional Court disagreed - the boundaries of the powers of the administrations of villages and settlements were clearly defined. But the decision never came into force.

According to Oleg Vasilaty, the work on regulating the system of local self-government was started by a new convocation of the Supreme Council. The first step was the adoption of the law "On Representative Authorities", which determined the competence of the Soviets of People's Deputies. This legislative initiative was designed to regulate the authority of rural administrations.

The chairmen of village councils - heads of village administrations who took part in the hearings, on the whole, gave a positive assessment to the law-in- draft. At the same time, they suggested that legislators should pay attention to the necessity to address issues related to the formation and distribution of the local budget in the countryside, the possibility of returning to the villages of the local administration of housing and communal services.

Oleg Vasilaty informed the meeting participants that legislative initiatives to resolve these issues will soon be considered.