GOLD Report I - UCLG

EURASIA122United Cities and Local GovernmentsIn all countries ofthe region, there isa system of statesupervision overlocal agencies ofstate governmentas well as localself-governments.Such centralsupervision isexercised throughexecutive powers,prosecution officesand courtsIn the Russian Federation, the Ministryof Justice does not have such functions.Supervision of local self-government isexercised by prosecution units (prokuratura).In Ukraine, control over local self-governmentis exercised by committees of theParliament and by local offices of stateadministrations, and the prosecution office(prokuratura). Financial control is exercisedby agencies such as the AccountingChamber, State Control and Revision Service,or Fund of State Property.Financial control, as a rule, is held byministries of finance in Armenia, Belarus,Russia and Ukraine, and by the Ministriesof Internal Revenue in Belarus. Branchoversight is carried out by appropriatedepartments of ministries and state agencies.Prosecution units (prokuratura) in allcountries exercise control over strict anduniform execution of laws.There are also forms of popular controlover local self-government. In Russia,charters of municipal entities may providefor recall of local elected officials.In Armenia, Russia and Ukraine, acts oflocal self-government entities may bequashed by courts or by the entity thatissued the acts.In other Eurasian countries, local acts maybe revoked or suspended by the head ofthe state (Belarus), the supreme legislativebody (Council of the Republic in Belarus,Parliament in Uzbekistan), or by offices ofstate power, which is the way in the countriesof Central Asia.The functions of bodies of local self-governmentmay be terminated ahead oftime on their own initiative (self-dissolution),by court decision (Armenia, Russia),or by decision of the Parliament (Kazakhstan,Kyrgyz Republic). In Azerbaijan, thedissolution of local self-government bodiesis not provided for in law.In the countries of Central Asia, the RussianFederation and Armenia appointedemployees of local governing bodies maybe dismissed by the higher officials whoappointed them. Grounds for dismissal ofmunicipal employees in Russia and Armeniaoften include: court decisions prohibitingthe occupation of a particular positionin municipal government bodies, expirationof contracts or reaching a specifiedage limit.In the majority of the countries of CentralAsia, there are systems of central-governmentexecutive branches that ensure theconduct of uniform state policy in appropriatespheres of activities. These centralgovernmentauthorities cooperate withlocal governments on matters pertaining toexecution of the functions of a localgovernment, adopt within their competencenormative legal acts and give instructionsand recommendations on dueexercise of powers on the local level. Ministriesmay exercise functions of coordinationand control, with the exception of localorgans of internal affairs (police), whichhave dual subordination, similar to the formersoviet system of government.In Armenia, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine,the impact of branch offices of executivepower (central and regional) on the activitiesof local government and local selfgovernmentis demonstrated in the controlover the execution of delegated state functions.In the event of violations, appropriatestate officials may give in written formmandatory instructions for eliminating violations.In Russia, such instructions maybe appealed in the courts.In all countries of Eurasia, bodies of localself-government may sue a state authorityor state officials for actions or decisionsinfringing local rights. Citizens also havethe right to file a suit if they believegovernment at any level has violated theirright to self-government. In several countries,conflicts between local self-governmentbodies and private (individual and