The main objective is to create necessary preconditions for the upcoming presidential elections

Chief of the Dnepropetrovsk local state administration Ihor Kolomoisky has proposed to establish the Council of Governors of the southeast of Ukraine with chefs of local state administrations in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhie, Kherson, Mykolaiiv and Odesa oblasts. This information has been posted on the official website of the Dnepropetrovsk LSA.

The core priority task the council should accomplish is to create necessary preconditions for conducting transparent and fair presidential elections in Ukraine on May 25, 2014 to be supervised by international observers.

The territorial defence staff in southeast oblasts with its headquarters in Dnepropetrovsk is proposed be a task team of the council. The local authorities may be coordinated by the council, the Security Service of Ukraine and Ministry of Interior in order to stem separatism and combat subversive activities of illegal armed groups.

In addition, the members of the council can jointly work out proposals for decentralization of the power in Ukraine, enhancement of the role of local self-government bodies so that to lay the foundation for harmonious relations between the country’s administrative centre and its regions. The proposals can be entered into a draft of the new constitution of Ukraine. 

Negative tendencies in the southeast regions are of similar nature, but they are being tackled differently. The governors can have an opportunity to exchange best practices and proven experience to stabilize the situation in the regions they will be in charge of, to develop and expound the principles for a public dialogue, to unite people owing to shared values of freedom and democracy.