For more news visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com

Kyiv now has two leaders. Last week the President of Ukraine fired Leonid Chernovetsky from his post as a head of the Kyiv city administration, appointing Alexander Popov to take care of the city. Popov is from the President's political party. But Leonid Chernovetsky is still officially a mayor, and the leader of the city council.

[Volodymyr Fesenko, Director, Gorshenin Institute]:
"If we talk about the dual power, in my opinion, dual power is a formality. Everyone understands that, even when Popov was the deputy head of city administration, he was the real leader of the city. It was he who determined the policies concerning utilities and economic questions in the city."

Mayors of Kyiv used to be elected, but since the law changed in September of this year, now the President can appoint this key figure. According to some political analysts, Kyiv citizens have lost one of their most important rights -- to choose and influence city administration.

[Victor Timoshchuk, Deputy Chairman, Centre for Political and Legal Reforms]:
"The situation for local governments and the public of Kyiv is a big negative, because power is taken away from people. They see that they cannot influence this power. This City of 3.5 million people, have to face the fact that this appointed person is supposed to solve their problems".

Residents of Kyiv do not seem to approve of the changes.

[Galina Parkhomenko, Kyiv Citizen]:
"Of course I am against it. Though the government and local authorities have not been listening to us lately, but we still want something to depend on us a little bit".

Others also agree with this view.

[Vitaliy Bala, Director, Situations Modeling Agency]:
"For Kyiv residents it really is a big plus, because in order to be elected to the post of mayor in 2012, Popov will have to earn the trust by his positive actions. He is not a resident of Kyiv and came from another region, "

NTD, Kyiv, Ukraine.