Legitimacy of City Authorities in the Eyes of Odesa Residents
Green Leaf has already reported that Odesa residents appealed to the city authorities asking that unallocated city budget funds be directed to the needs of combat units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. To recap, the appeal was sent to the Mayor of Odesa, every member of the Executive Committee of the Odesa City Council, and, via the councillors’ portal, personally to every city councillor.
The city authorities remain silent or send formal replies
According to information provided by Iryna Kostenko, representatives of the city authorities are in no hurry to perform the duties entrusted to them. As of June 19:
1. No response has been received from the Mayor of Odesa.
2. Among representatives of the Executive Committee, only the Department of Municipal Security has provided a response.
This “response” does not provide any substantive answer to the issues raised in the collective appeal and is, in effect, a form letter.
3. Of the 56 councillors listed on the councillors’ portal, only three have replied. They are:
– Iryna Lioneliyivna Holovatiuk-Yuzefpolska, “TRUST IN DEEDS”;
– Zhanna Vasylivna Mandrychenko, “EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY”;
– Olha Oleksiivna Kvasnitska, “SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE”.
It should be noted that under the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of Deputies of Local Councils”, “A deputy of a local council, as a representative of the interests of the territorial community and the voters of their electoral district, is obliged to express and defend the interests of the relevant territorial community and its part — the voters of their electoral district, to carry out their instructions within the powers granted by law, and to take an active part in local self-government.”
In practice, however, we see that most members of the Odesa City Council of the VIII convocation do not regard themselves as representatives of their voters’ interests.
In conclusion.
Odesa residents gave the city authorities a test. Once again, the city authorities failed it. In fact, today we can speak of a major crisis of trust between residents and the authorities, and even most city councillors are making no effort at their level to overcome this crisis.