In Ukraine, over four hundred local community heads have held their positions for more than two consecutive terms. This issue sparks lively discussions among the public and experts regarding whether such a practice serves the interests of residents and whether it creates conditions for abuse of power.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Lack of Limits and Risks for Communities
Most communities in Ukraine have effectively not experienced alternative governance, as current leaders remain in their positions for years. The Constitution allows mayors to be re-elected an unlimited number of times; however, public activists believe this contributes to the emergence of corruption schemes and the establishment of close ties with developers.
The question of limiting the number of terms for mayors has become the subject of professional analysis by journalists and experts, who examine both the advantages and disadvantages of potential legislative changes.
Petition for Term Limits and Public Arguments
A petition has been published on the official parliament website proposing to establish limits: the same person may be elected mayor of one city no more than twice. The petition’s initiators are convinced that this will help avoid political monopoly and reduce corruption risks.
“At present, any individual can hold an elected position as head of local self-government for an unlimited number of terms, which is happening in many populated areas of Ukraine. This leads to a long-term political monopoly at the local level. Local power is intertwined with business, forming a single corrupt syndicate,” the petition states.
Activists provide examples where the lack of clear limits leads to the emergence of entrenched corruption ties between representatives of power and business. In particular, the capital has long witnessed a trend of power merging with business structures, negatively affecting budget distribution, land resources, and the transparency of construction contracts.
According to the position of the petition’s authors, introducing limits on the number of terms will help prevent abuses and promote the renewal of management approaches in communities across Ukraine.
