THE USE OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY TOOLS IN UKRAINE: LEGAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The scientific article is devoted to the content and peculiarities of using the tools of local democracy. It is determined that local democracy presupposes the availability of a wide range of tools for prompt and practical solutions to problems that arise on the ground. It is noted that the legislation of Ukraine guarantees the legal basis for the use of the following instruments of local democracy: citizens’ appeals, e-petition, access to meetings, general meetings, advisory bodies, control and supervisory bodies, participation budget, self-organization bodies, local initiatives, public hearings. The paper analyzes the peculiarities of citizens’ appeals. It is stated that this type of instrument of local democracy applies to various activities of the society and the state and has a common goal – to draw the attention of relevant bodies and officials to the need to address issues affecting public or individual interests. Particular attention is paid to such an instrument of local democracy as the electronic petition. It has been identified that e-petitions are a tool for the development of democracy, as they: draw the attention of local authorities to essential issues and can be a tool for assessing the support of ideas by government officials. The paper analyzes the general meeting as an instrument of local democracy. It is stated that the procedure for holding a public meeting of citizens at the place of residence is determined by the law and the charter of the territorial community. Still, currently, no law in Ukraine would regulate the procedure for holding a general meeting of citizens. The paper emphasizes that an essential and effective tool of local democracy is the participation budget, which involves residents distributing local budget funds by submitting projects to improve life in the community and voting for proposed projects by other residents. According to the author, such a tool has significant advantages. In particular, it contributes to the transparency of the budget process as a whole, increasing the activity of residents, raising awareness of local government, increases trust between government and community. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the public council. The normative legal acts and the essence of this instrument of local democracy are analyzed.