Amended regulations for population self-organization bodies

Draft bill #6319 of November 18, 2021 

Status: adopted in the first reading. MPs will continue working on the draft bill 

Who is affected: local governments, territorial communities, residents of villages, townships, cities (excluding administrative centers of the communities), city districts, streets, blocks, neighborhoods, residential complexes, and residential buildings. 

Summary of the bill: 

• currently, the law recognizes as population self-organization bodies building, street, neighborhood, and city district committees. The bill proposes to add to this list also committees of residential complexes, villages, townships, and cities (excluding the administrative centers of the communities), and other self-organization bodies 
• self-organization bodies will be defined as non-profit so they will have to comply with the respective legal requirements. For example, to use their income only for self-maintenance 
• population self-organization bodies will use the amended election procedure: 
  • only residents who legally reside in the respective territory, are of at least 18 years old and are legally capable will be eligible to run for the membership 
  • only citizens who legally reside in the respective territory, are of at least 18 years old and are legally capable will be allowed vote for the candidates 
• the procedure for creating a self-organization body will be changed: 
  • an initiative group submits a request to an executive committee of the local council. The committee gives it with information about the number of residents and provides organizational support and consultations 
  • an assembly of residents submits a proposal to create a population self-organization body to the local council only if at least half of the residents with the right to vote participated in the assembly 
  • a decision of the assembly of residents is legitimate if supported by a majority of its participants. The minutes of the assembly and a copy of the Regulation on the self-organization body are prepared 
  • local council considers the assembly’s decision and decides on granting or refusing permission to create a self-organization body on its next plenary session. Persons authorized by the assembly are required to participate in the considerations of this issue. Local council can refuse the request only it violates the Constitution or laws 
• population self-organization body will have the following powers: 
  • to represent the interests of the residents of the respective territory in dealings with the local council and its executive bodies 
  • to oversee the quality of public utilities 
  • to assist educational, cultural, tourism, and sports establishments in organizing events 
  • to exercise some of the powers of the local council if the local council so decides. 

Why this is important: self-organization bodies are delegate bodies created to solve problems at the local level. In fact, this is the true grassroots level of citizens’ participation in decision-making: citizens are directly involved in solving problems concerning their buildings, residential complexes, neighborhoods, streets, city districts, etc. without involving the state or local councils into the process. 

What is right: 

• the bill proposes a more simple and clear procedure for creating population self-organization bodies and writes out the right to be elected and to elect to such bodies 

• the bill eliminates the ambiguities regarding the powers and work of self-organization bodies and addresses the issue of possible conflicts of self-organization bodies with other self-organization bodies.