Law on special self-government procedures in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions takes effect in Ukraine

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The law on special self-government procedures in certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions took effect in Ukraine on Saturday after it was published by the parliament newspaper Holos Ukrainy.

The bill passed by the Verkhovna Rada on September 16 was signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko into law on October 16.

Now the Ukrainian national laws in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions should be applied with due regard to the specifics of the new law.

"The cities, towns and villages should be governed by territorial communities through local government agencies in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. Powers of local councils and officers elected at a snap election, enacted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in Law No. 1680-VII, shall be prematurely terminated. Snap elections of deputies of local councils (in districts, cities and towns, villages), city and town mayors in some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions should be scheduled for December 7, 2014," the law said.

The special procedures in the said areas were introduced by the law temporarily, for three years from the date they became effective.

The document also defines the procedure to ensure coordinated activities between local self-government agencies in these districts and the Ukrainian government.

In addition, the law determines the mechanisms of state support for the social and economic development of certain districts in the two regions through the introduction of a different economic regime of the economic and investment activities aimed at rebuilding industrial facilities, infrastructure, housing and the reorientation of industrial capacity, the creation of new jobs, the press service said.

The signed law stipulates that the Ukrainian state guarantees that the participants in events in those districts will not be subject to criminal and administrative prosecution and punishment. Public order in the districts will be maintained by people's militia, which will be created in keeping with decisions by local government agencies.