President of Ukraine
Encyclopedia
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi
. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic
, while the highest governing body was the General Secretariat
headed by its chairman. With the proclamation of the last universal
of the UPR dated January 25, 1918 due to a military aggression, the Central Rada
(council) of the UPR proclaimed its independence from the Russia
. On April 29, 1918, the Rada elected Mykhailo Hrushevskyi as the first President of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian People's Republic, in effect making him the de facto
leader of the republic. Although a rather widespread misconception, the state leadership position title varied and none of them had an official "presidential" title.
On April 29, 1918 the Central Rada was arrested and liquidated during a coup d'état
initiated by the local German administration to install Hetman
Pavlo Skoropadsky
who barely spoke a word of the Ukrainian language
. In November of the same year the Directorate
government of the UPR was established as the opposition movement to the Skoropadsky's regime. The Ukrainian People's Republic was soon re-established in December 1918 with Volodymyr Vynnychenko
as the Directorate's chairman, serving as the republic's de facto second "President" from December 19, 1918 to February 10, 1919. Although really the Directorate was the temporary governing body until the new Ukrainian Constituent Assembly would elect its president. Symon Petliura assumed the representation of the state after Vynnychenko's resignation on February 11, 1919 and until Petlyura's assassination in Paris
on May 25, 1926.
After the Soviet invasion
of Ukraine in 1920 and the control of the Ukrainian territory under pro-Soviet forces with the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian People's Republic was forced into exile. Upon the assassination of Petlyura by the Soviets the control over the state affairs were transferred to the former Prime-Minister Andriy Livytskyi
who in 1948 created the office of the President of Ukraine. Livytskyi served as the first President (in exile) until January 1954. Stepan Vytvytskyi
served after Livytskyi from January 1954 until his death on October 9, 1965. Following Vytvytskyi's death, Ivan Bahrianyi temporarily carried out the presidential authority until the third President-in-exile Mykola Livytskyi
(son of the first President-in-exile) was sworn into office. Livytskyi served from 1967 until his death in December 1989.
Mykola Plaviuk
was the last President-in-exile (and the fourth), serving from December 1989 until his resignation on August 22, 1992 when he ceremonially gave in his presidential authority and state symbols to the newly-elected Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk
at his inauguration ceremony. In his declaration, it is stated that the current Ukrainian state is the legal successor following the state traditions of the Ukrainian People's Republic, establishing the continuity of the republic.
The modern Ukrainian presidency was established on July 5, 1991 by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which formed the office of "President of the Ukrainian SSR" . During the transitional period until the presidential elections
, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (then held by Leonid Kravchuk) was empowered with a presidential authority. With the proclamation of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union
, the office's official title was changed to "President of Ukraine" on August 24. In the current Constitution, the Ukrainian presidency is defined in Chapter V, Articles 102-112.
in 1991 was held at the same time as Ukrainians voted to support the Declaration of Independence
in the independence referendum
. Leonid Kravchuk
was elected Ukraine's first president on December 1, 1989. He was elected by a record number of voters with over 19.5 million who wanted him to see as the leader of the state. That number has not been beaten yet. His major opponents were the leader of Rukh
Vyacheslav Chornovil
and the author of the Declaration of Independence
. President Kravchuk's remained in office until he resigned as part of a political compromise. A snap election
was held in 1994
, which was won by Ukraine's former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma
. Kuchma was re-elected for a second term of office in 1999
.
The 2004
presidential election was marked by controversy with allegations of electoral fraud in the conduct of the second round runoff
ballot between opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych
. After mass nationwide protests, colloquially known as the "Orange Revolution
," a new election was held on December 26, 2004 in which Victor Yushchenko was declared the winner with 52% of the vote and was subsequently sworn in to office on January 23, 2005.
The last election
took take place on January 17, 2010 with a run-off on February 7, 2010 due to a May 13 Constitutional Court ruling striking down an earlier date that the parliament called in April 2009. As a result of this election Viktor Yanukovych
was elected the fourth modern president of Ukraine.
popular vote by Ukrainian citizens
who are 18 years and over. The President is elected for a 5-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively.
Ukraine's electoral law provides for a two-round system electoral system to elect the President; a candidate must win an absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting then the two highest polling candidates contest a run-off
second ballot.
According to Chapter V, Article 103 of the Constitution, a candidate in the presidential election a candidate must be a Ukrainian citizen
who has attained the age of 35, has the right to vote, has resided in the country for the past 10 years and has full command of the Ukrainian state language
. Per the Constitution, regular presidential elections are scheduled to be held on the last Sunday of the last month of the fifth year of the incumbent President's term. If the President's authority has ended pre-term, then the elections must be held within 90 days of the incumbent President's end of term.
Candidates seeking election are required to pay a nomination deposit of 500,000 hryvnias
(approx. 80,000 US Dollars) which is refunded only to those candidates that progress to the second round of voting.
The next Ukrainian presidential election have been set for March 29, 2015.
According to Article 104 of the Constitution, the President of Ukraine assumes office no later than in thirty days after the official announcement of the election results, from the moment of taking the oath
to the people at a ceremonial meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
, the Ukrainian parliament. If the President is elected following special elections in the event of the previous president's resignation, impeachment or death, the President-elect must take oath of office within five days after the publication of the official election results.
The Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine
administers the oath of office
. The President-elect recites the Ukrainian oath of office with his hand on the Constitution and the Peresopnytsia Gospels: The Ukrainian text of the oath according to the article 104 is:
Official English translation:
After conducting the oath, the President signs the text of the oath of office and transfers it over to the Chairman of the Constitutional Court.
According to Article 102 of the Constitution, the President is the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial indivisibility of Ukraine, the observer of the Constitution and human rights and freedoms. As stated in Article 106, the President ensures state independence, national security and the legal succession of the state. Unlike in other semi-presidential system
s of government, the President of Ukraine does not belong to the executive
branch of government. The Prime Minister
is Ukraine's head of government
. Thus, the President serves to represent the country and government as a whole, and not any specific branch of government. The President is obliged by the Constitution to prevent any actions of the executive, legislative and judicial branches from taking effect and interfering with the powers of the Constitution.
The President has the power to submit a proposal for the nomination of the Prime Minister
, the Verkhovna Rada, through a constitutional majority, has to supports the candidacy. Laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada are signed into law by the President. The President also has the authority to create consultative, advisory and other subordinate government bodies for their authority with the use of the state budget. The President may address the nation and the Verkhovna Rada with his annual and special addresses on domestic and foreign issues of Ukraine. They may also call for the conduction of national referendums. The President appoints the heads of local state administrations nominated by the Prime Minister for the period of his presidency.
The President represents the country and government as a whole in international affairs. The President has the authority to conduct negotiations and sign treaties on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The right to recognize foreign nations rests solely with the President. The President may appoint and dismiss heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine
to other states and to international organizations and accept the recall of diplomatic representatives to Ukraine of foreign states. Although the President does not head the executive branch of government, they have the right to nominate their candidates for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
.
As per the checks and balances
system of Ukrainian government, the President can veto
laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (except constitutional amendments). The President wields high power in the legislative branch of government compared to other European heads of state. They may disband the parliament and call for early elections. This power has only been used twice to date, both times by incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko
(in 2007 and 2008). The legislative branches' check on the President includes the right to overturn a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote of the parliament.
The President can suspend acts passed by the Cabinet of Ministers if they contradict the intent of the Constitution and challenge such acts with the Constitutional Court, one-third of which can be appointed (and dismissed) by the President. Ukrainian law also allows the President to establish new jurisdictional districts and courts. In addition, the President can select the Prosecutor General
and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada's consent. One-half of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine
and the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting is reserved for the President to select.
In addition to serving as the head of state, the President is the Ukrainian Army's Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Article 106) and the Head of the National Security and Defense Council
, which advises the President regarding national security policy on domestic and international matters. The president can submit a declaration of war to the parliament and order the use of the Ukrainian Army and military formations in defense of aggression. Martial law
can also be declared on the territory of Ukraine if state independence is deemed in danger. With the confirmation of the Verkhovna Rada, a state of emergency
or zones of ecological emergency can also be adopted by the President.
Unconditional pardon
is reserved exclusively for the President; however, this right cannot be exercised by an acting president. The President can also confer citizens with state orders such as the Hero of Ukraine
or confer high military, diplomatic and other ranks and class orders. Citizenship
and political asylum in Ukraine can be granted and revoked by the President of Ukraine and as regulated by law.
The President of Ukraine appoints heads of regional state administrations (oblderzhadministratsia), presidential representatives to the Republic of Crimea, Verkhovna Rada
, others. The President does not acts as an ex officio head of state of Crimea. The President can revoke any laws passed by the Council of Ministers of Crimea that are deemed to contradict the Ukrainian Constitution and can provide their presidential consent on a nominee for Prime Minister of Crimea
.
Since September 2011 the President of Ukraine is also head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee while the Justice Minister serves as the secretary of this committee. The committee tasks include a systematic analysis of corruption in Ukraine
and the development of measures to combat corruption.
An election as President of Ukraine garners many privileges of office to an individual. Full legal immunity
is granted from all prosecutions and legal proceedings, excluding parliament's right to impeach the president. The title of President of Ukraine itself is protected by law and is reserved for the president for life, unless they have been impeached from office. According to Article 105 of the Constitution, offending the honor and dignity of the President is punishable by law, although no such law has yet been enacted. The President's personal security is provided by the Directory of State Security of Ukraine and a separate presidential regiment provided by the Ministry of Interior.
For their services to the state, the president is allotted a yearly gross salary of ₴
283,884 ($
37,470, 2005). All official and state visits made by the president are operated by the Ukraine Air Enterprise
Tupolev Tu-134
presidential airplane. All required aviation transportation is provided by the State Aviation Company "Ukraina" (Ukraine Air Enterprise), the headquarters of which is located in Boryspil
.
in a massive building
across from the House with Chimaeras. The head of the administration, the Chief Secretary, acts as the gray cardinal for the president in the Ukrainian politics. Fourteen state residences are allocated for official Presidential use, which largely remained from the Kuchma-era presidency. The official ceremonial residence is the Mariyinsky Palace
in Kiev. Other state residences include the House with Chimaeras
and the House of the Weeping Widow
in Kiev, the Massandra Palace
in Crimea, and the newly-renovated Pototsky Palace
in Lviv
. In addition, each former president has been allotted a state-owned dacha
in the former forest preserve in Koncha-Zaspa
.
A lot of additional material-technical, social-communal, health care provision support is offered by the State Department of Affairs (abbreviated as DUS) that is created for state officials and subordinated to the President of Ukraine. DUS is a supporting state agency that was restructured in 2000 out of the Presidential Directory of Affairs. Primarily the agency is designated for the President and its administration, while also provides support for the Cabinet of Ministers, parliament, and other state agencies if budget permits.
of the Ukrainian Flag, the Seal, the Presidential Sign(collar), and the Presidential bulava. The presidential symbols, along with other important Presidential documents and media, are contained in the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
, the country's main academic library
. For the President's use, the library prepares documents and analytical materials.
The tradition of the Ukrainian "First family" was established by Kuchma, who became the in-law to his daughter's husband and politician Viktor Pinchuk
. During the current presidency of Viktor Yanukovych
, the "first family" meaning was taken to the next level whose son Viktor became a parliamentarian of Verkhovna Rada
with the same political party
affiliation.
to the state and other crimes. A two-thirds constitutional majority in the Verkhovna Rada (300 ayes) must support a procedure of impeachment for it to begin. A temporary investigative commission is established by the parliament for the impeachment investigation. The commission's final conclusions are considered at a parliamentary meeting.
To adopt an impeachment resolution, a minimum two-thirds of the parliament must support the impeachment procedure. To remove the President from office, a minimum three-quarters of parliament must support the resolution. The Constitutional and the Supreme Court of Ukraine
's conclusions and decisions are considered at the parliamentary meetings. No President has been impeached from office to date.
In the event that a President is incapable of committing his/her duties as President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
(currently Volodymyr Lytvyn
) becomes the acting president until a new president is elected. The acting president is not given the authority to address the nation and parliament, dismiss the legislative branch and appoint candidates for parliamentary approval of government and judicial posts. The acting president cannot call for a referendum, grant military ranks and state orders and exercise their right of pardon
. There are no constitutional provisions for presidential succession in case both the president and chairman's posts are vacant.
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
was conducted in late 2004 and was contested between then-Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovych
and former Prime Minister and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko
. The final stages of the election were conducted amidst allegations of media bias, voter intimidation and the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko that was later confirmed to be the result of the poison dioxin.
The first round of voting was held on October 31, 2004 and finished at a near-draw: official figures gave Yanukovych 39.32% and Yushchenko 39.87% of the votes cast. As no candidate reached the 50 percent constitutional margin required for outright victory, a runoff election was scheduled on November 21. Although a 75 percent voter turnout
was recorded in the initial vote, observers reported many irregularities, particularly in the regions where Yushchenko's support was seen to be strongest.
According to the official Central Election Commission
results announced on November 23, the run-off election was won by Yanukovych with 49.46 percent of the vote to Yushchenko's 46.61 percent, but Yushchenko and his supporters, as well as many international observers, denounced the election as rigged and highly falsified. Their denouncement and subsequent non-recognition of the vote led to a political crisis where widespread peaceful protests, dubbed the "Orange Revolution
," eventually led to the Ukrainian Supreme Court
annulling the run-off vote's results and ordering a repeat of the second round.
The repeat vote was conducted on December 26. Observers reported a much fairer vote; Viktor Yushchenko won the Presidency with 51.99 percent of the vote, to Yanukovych's 44.2 percent. Yushchenko was eventually declared the winner on January 10, 2005 after the failure of a legal action brought by Yanukovych. Viktor Yushcenko was sworn in as the third President of Ukraine on January 23, 2005.
's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union
in 1991. The first round of Ukraine's presidential election was held on January 17, 2010. The President of Ukraine is elected by the citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term, on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage, by secret ballot.
A candidate seeking election must be a citizen of Ukraine who has attained the age of thirty-five, has the right to vote, has resided in Ukraine for the past ten years prior to the day of elections, and has command of the state language as required by Article 103 of Ukraine's Constitution.
Nominations by parties and candidates to run in the election closed on November 6, 2009. Eighteen candidates in all have been nominated. The Central Election Committee had until November 11, 2009, to process documentation and finalize the election list.
On January 17, 2010, polling stations were open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Voter turnout was approximately 67 percent, according to official results 24,588,268 votes were recorded in the first round ballot. This compared to 75 percent at the 2004 presidential election. 542,824 votes (2.2%) were recorded as being "against all" with a further 1.6% of the vote declared invalid. Incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko
was defeated having received only 5.45% of the vote.
Viktor Yanukovych
and Yulia Tymoshenko
finished first and second in the first round and faced each other in the second round ballot held on February 7. Voter turnout was approximately 69%. With all second round votes counted Yanukovych won the election with 48.95% of the results, compared to Tymoshenko's 45.47%.
The election has been widely recognized and endorsed as being fair and an accurate reflection of voters' intentions by all international agencies observing the election including the OSCE and PACE
. A few days after the election, Yanukovych received congratulations from world leaders. Still, Tymoshenko refused to concede defeat, and Tymoshenko's party promised to challenge the result.
On February 14, Viktor Yanukovych, with 48.95% of the popular vote, was declared President-elect and winner of the 2010 Ukrainian Presidential election. According to Article 104 of Ukraine's Constitution the President must be sworn into office within 30 days from the official declaration of the poll before the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian Parliament scheduled Yanukovych's inauguration for February 25.
On February 17, 2010, the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, suspended the results of the election on appeal from Tymoshenko. The court suspended the Central Election Commission of Ukraine
ruling that announced that Viktor Yanukovych won the election, but did not postpone or cancel Yanukovych’s inauguration. Tymoshenko withdrew her appeal on February 20.
(Supreme Council) of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic passed a law on July 5, 1991 establishing the post of the "President of the Ukrainian SSR." Upon the proclamation of Ukrainian independence
from the Soviet Union
on August 24, 1991, the title was changed to the "President of Ukraine." The first election of the President of Ukraine was contested on December 1, 1991. Leonid Kravchuk
was the inaugural holder of the office.
All four Presidents have been members of the Verkhovna Rada
(parliament) prior to their election as President. Kravchuk was the first (and only) President to have resigned from the office, following a power struggle between Kravchuk and his Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma
. Although the 10 is maximum number of years a person can serve, Leonid Kuchma has served a little over 10 and a half, finishing Kravchuk's only term.
Andriy Livytskyi
Andriy Mykolaiovych Livytskyi — died January 17, 1954) was a Ukrainian politician, diplomat, statesman, and lawyer.He was president of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile and the Chairman of the Directory prior to reforming that office into the presidential.-Biography:Andriy Livytskyi was...
. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
, while the highest governing body was the General Secretariat
General Secretariat of Ukraine
The General Secretariat of Ukraine was the main executive institution of the Ukrainian People's Republic from June 28, 1917 to January 22, 1918.It closely related to the today's Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine...
headed by its chairman. With the proclamation of the last universal
Universal (act)
Universal is a historic term that means an official proclamation or legal act. In several historic periods Universals were issued by the Polish and Ukrainian authorities. The name originates from Latin litterae universales, meaning universal publication directed to all...
of the UPR dated January 25, 1918 due to a military aggression, the Central Rada
Tsentralna Rada
The Tsentralna Rada or Central Rada at first was the All-Ukrainian council that united political, public, cultural, professional organizations. Later after the All-Ukrainian National Congress that council became the revolutionary parliament of Ukraine...
(council) of the UPR proclaimed its independence from the Russia
Russian Democratic Federative Republic
Russian Democratic Federative Republic , was a proposed federal form of government of Russia during the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was formally declared on January 19, when the democratically elected Russian Constituent Assembly drafted and adopted the Resolution on the form of government of...
. On April 29, 1918, the Rada elected Mykhailo Hrushevskyi as the first President of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian People's Republic, in effect making him the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of the republic. Although a rather widespread misconception, the state leadership position title varied and none of them had an official "presidential" title.
On April 29, 1918 the Central Rada was arrested and liquidated during a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
initiated by the local German administration to install Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi 3 May 1873, Wiesbaden, Germany – 26 April 1945, Metten monastery clinic, Bavaria, Germany) was a Ukrainian politician, earlier an aristocrat and decorated Imperial Russian Army general...
who barely spoke a word of the Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
. In November of the same year the Directorate
Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory was a provisional revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian National Republic, formed in 1918 by the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Skoropadsky's regime....
government of the UPR was established as the opposition movement to the Skoropadsky's regime. The Ukrainian People's Republic was soon re-established in December 1918 with Volodymyr Vynnychenko
Volodymyr Vynnychenko
Volodymyr Kyrylovych Vynnychenko - Biography :Vynnychenko was born in Yelisavetgrad , the Kherson Governorate of the Russian Empire in a family of peasants. His father Kyrylo Vasyliovych Vynnychenko earlier in his life was a peasant-serf has moved from a village to the city of Yelisavetgrad where...
as the Directorate's chairman, serving as the republic's de facto second "President" from December 19, 1918 to February 10, 1919. Although really the Directorate was the temporary governing body until the new Ukrainian Constituent Assembly would elect its president. Symon Petliura assumed the representation of the state after Vynnychenko's resignation on February 11, 1919 and until Petlyura's assassination in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on May 25, 1926.
After the Soviet invasion
Soviet invasion
Soviet Invasion can refer to:*Soviet invasion of Poland , a military operation during the early stages of World War II*Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, a 1968 invasion of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic...
of Ukraine in 1920 and the control of the Ukrainian territory under pro-Soviet forces with the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian People's Republic was forced into exile. Upon the assassination of Petlyura by the Soviets the control over the state affairs were transferred to the former Prime-Minister Andriy Livytskyi
Andriy Livytskyi
Andriy Mykolaiovych Livytskyi — died January 17, 1954) was a Ukrainian politician, diplomat, statesman, and lawyer.He was president of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile and the Chairman of the Directory prior to reforming that office into the presidential.-Biography:Andriy Livytskyi was...
who in 1948 created the office of the President of Ukraine. Livytskyi served as the first President (in exile) until January 1954. Stepan Vytvytskyi
Stepan Vytvytskyi
Stepan Vytvytskyi was a Ukrainian politician, diplomat, and journalist...
served after Livytskyi from January 1954 until his death on October 9, 1965. Following Vytvytskyi's death, Ivan Bahrianyi temporarily carried out the presidential authority until the third President-in-exile Mykola Livytskyi
Mykola Livytskyi
Mykola Andriyovych Livytskyi was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He was the Prime Minister and the President of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile .-References:...
(son of the first President-in-exile) was sworn into office. Livytskyi served from 1967 until his death in December 1989.
Mykola Plaviuk
Mykola Plaviuk
Mykola Vasyliovych Plaviuk is a Ukrainian social and political activist in emigration, who had served as the last President of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile...
was the last President-in-exile (and the fourth), serving from December 1989 until his resignation on August 22, 1992 when he ceremonially gave in his presidential authority and state symbols to the newly-elected Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
at his inauguration ceremony. In his declaration, it is stated that the current Ukrainian state is the legal successor following the state traditions of the Ukrainian People's Republic, establishing the continuity of the republic.
The modern Ukrainian presidency was established on July 5, 1991 by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which formed the office of "President of the Ukrainian SSR" . During the transitional period until the presidential elections
Ukrainian presidential election, 1991
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1991 was the first presidential election held in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The election was contested on December 1, 1991, with all six candidates campaigning in support of Ukrainian independence...
, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (then held by Leonid Kravchuk) was empowered with a presidential authority. With the proclamation of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the office's official title was changed to "President of Ukraine" on August 24. In the current Constitution, the Ukrainian presidency is defined in Chapter V, Articles 102-112.
Elections since 1991
So far, only four presidential elections have been conducted. The first electionUkrainian presidential election, 1991
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1991 was the first presidential election held in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The election was contested on December 1, 1991, with all six candidates campaigning in support of Ukrainian independence...
in 1991 was held at the same time as Ukrainians voted to support the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence of Ukraine
The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on August 24, 1991. The Act established Ukraine as an independent, democratic state....
in the independence referendum
Ukrainian independence referendum, 1991
A referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine took place in Ukraine on December 1, 1991. The only question of the referendum was: "Do you support the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" – with the text of the Declaration as a preamble to the question...
. Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
was elected Ukraine's first president on December 1, 1989. He was elected by a record number of voters with over 19.5 million who wanted him to see as the leader of the state. That number has not been beaten yet. His major opponents were the leader of Rukh
People's Movement of Ukraine
The People's Movement of Ukraine is a Ukrainian center-right political party...
Vyacheslav Chornovil
Vyacheslav Chornovil
Viacheslav Chornovil was a Ukrainian politician. A prominent Ukrainian dissident to the Soviet policies, he was arrested multiple times in the 1960s and 1970s for his political views...
and the author of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence of Ukraine
The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on August 24, 1991. The Act established Ukraine as an independent, democratic state....
. President Kravchuk's remained in office until he resigned as part of a political compromise. A snap election
Snap election
A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. Generally it refers to an election in a parliamentary system called when not required , usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue...
was held in 1994
Ukrainian presidential election, 1994
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1994 was held on June 26, 1994 and July 10, 1994. The presidential election was ahead of schedule, following a political compromise between the President and Parliament...
, which was won by Ukraine's former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
. Kuchma was re-elected for a second term of office in 1999
Ukrainian presidential election, 1999
The Ukrainian presidential election, 1999 was a presidential election held in 1999 in Ukraine.There were 15 candidates originally with two withdrawing prior to election ....
.
The 2004
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
presidential election was marked by controversy with allegations of electoral fraud in the conduct of the second round runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
ballot between opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
. After mass nationwide protests, colloquially known as the "Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
," a new election was held on December 26, 2004 in which Victor Yushchenko was declared the winner with 52% of the vote and was subsequently sworn in to office on January 23, 2005.
The last election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
took take place on January 17, 2010 with a run-off on February 7, 2010 due to a May 13 Constitutional Court ruling striking down an earlier date that the parliament called in April 2009. As a result of this election Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
was elected the fourth modern president of Ukraine.
Method of election and eligibility
The Ukrainian president is elected by directDirect election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
popular vote by Ukrainian citizens
Ukrainian citizenship
Citizenship of Ukraine is governed by the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine and by the Ukrainian Constitution.-Definition of Ukrainian citizenship:Citizens of Ukraine are defined as:...
who are 18 years and over. The President is elected for a 5-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively.
Ukraine's electoral law provides for a two-round system electoral system to elect the President; a candidate must win an absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting then the two highest polling candidates contest a run-off
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
second ballot.
According to Chapter V, Article 103 of the Constitution, a candidate in the presidential election a candidate must be a Ukrainian citizen
Ukrainian citizenship
Citizenship of Ukraine is governed by the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine and by the Ukrainian Constitution.-Definition of Ukrainian citizenship:Citizens of Ukraine are defined as:...
who has attained the age of 35, has the right to vote, has resided in the country for the past 10 years and has full command of the Ukrainian state language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
. Per the Constitution, regular presidential elections are scheduled to be held on the last Sunday of the last month of the fifth year of the incumbent President's term. If the President's authority has ended pre-term, then the elections must be held within 90 days of the incumbent President's end of term.
Candidates seeking election are required to pay a nomination deposit of 500,000 hryvnias
Ukrainian hryvnia
The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'....
(approx. 80,000 US Dollars) which is refunded only to those candidates that progress to the second round of voting.
The next Ukrainian presidential election have been set for March 29, 2015.
Oath and term of office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
to the people at a ceremonial meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
, the Ukrainian parliament. If the President is elected following special elections in the event of the previous president's resignation, impeachment or death, the President-elect must take oath of office within five days after the publication of the official election results.
The Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine
Constitutional Court of Ukraine
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine and decides whether laws and other legal acts are constitutional....
administers the oath of office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
. The President-elect recites the Ukrainian oath of office with his hand on the Constitution and the Peresopnytsia Gospels: The Ukrainian text of the oath according to the article 104 is:
Official English translation:
After conducting the oath, the President signs the text of the oath of office and transfers it over to the Chairman of the Constitutional Court.
Duties and powers
Semi-presidential system
The semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a president and a prime minister are both active participants in the day-to-day administration of the state...
s of government, the President of Ukraine does not belong to the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
branch of government. The Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
is Ukraine's head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. Thus, the President serves to represent the country and government as a whole, and not any specific branch of government. The President is obliged by the Constitution to prevent any actions of the executive, legislative and judicial branches from taking effect and interfering with the powers of the Constitution.
The President has the power to submit a proposal for the nomination of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
, the Verkhovna Rada, through a constitutional majority, has to supports the candidacy. Laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada are signed into law by the President. The President also has the authority to create consultative, advisory and other subordinate government bodies for their authority with the use of the state budget. The President may address the nation and the Verkhovna Rada with his annual and special addresses on domestic and foreign issues of Ukraine. They may also call for the conduction of national referendums. The President appoints the heads of local state administrations nominated by the Prime Minister for the period of his presidency.
The President represents the country and government as a whole in international affairs. The President has the authority to conduct negotiations and sign treaties on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The right to recognize foreign nations rests solely with the President. The President may appoint and dismiss heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine
Diplomatic missions of Ukraine
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Ukraine, excluding honorary consulates.- Europe :** Vienna ** Yerevan ** Baku ** Minsk ** Brest ** Brussels ** Sarajevo...
to other states and to international organizations and accept the recall of diplomatic representatives to Ukraine of foreign states. Although the President does not head the executive branch of government, they have the right to nominate their candidates for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
.
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
system of Ukrainian government, the President can veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (except constitutional amendments). The President wields high power in the legislative branch of government compared to other European heads of state. They may disband the parliament and call for early elections. This power has only been used twice to date, both times by incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
(in 2007 and 2008). The legislative branches' check on the President includes the right to overturn a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote of the parliament.
The President can suspend acts passed by the Cabinet of Ministers if they contradict the intent of the Constitution and challenge such acts with the Constitutional Court, one-third of which can be appointed (and dismissed) by the President. Ukrainian law also allows the President to establish new jurisdictional districts and courts. In addition, the President can select the Prosecutor General
Prosecutor General of Ukraine
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine...
and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada's consent. One-half of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine
National Bank of Ukraine
National Bank of Ukraine is the central bank of Ukraine. Its headquarters building, constructed between 1902 and 1934, is located at no. 9 Institutska St., in Kiev-History:...
and the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting is reserved for the President to select.
In addition to serving as the head of state, the President is the Ukrainian Army's Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Article 106) and the Head of the National Security and Defense Council
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine , locally referred by its abbreviation RNBO, is an organizational state body in Ukraine tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters in advising the President of Ukraine .The Council was originally created in...
, which advises the President regarding national security policy on domestic and international matters. The president can submit a declaration of war to the parliament and order the use of the Ukrainian Army and military formations in defense of aggression. Martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
can also be declared on the territory of Ukraine if state independence is deemed in danger. With the confirmation of the Verkhovna Rada, a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
or zones of ecological emergency can also be adopted by the President.
Unconditional pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
is reserved exclusively for the President; however, this right cannot be exercised by an acting president. The President can also confer citizens with state orders such as the Hero of Ukraine
Hero of Ukraine
Hero of Ukraine is the highest state decoration that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the Government of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as of August 25 2011 the total number of awards is 265. The award is divided into two classes of distinction:...
or confer high military, diplomatic and other ranks and class orders. Citizenship
Ukrainian citizenship
Citizenship of Ukraine is governed by the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine and by the Ukrainian Constitution.-Definition of Ukrainian citizenship:Citizens of Ukraine are defined as:...
and political asylum in Ukraine can be granted and revoked by the President of Ukraine and as regulated by law.
The President of Ukraine appoints heads of regional state administrations (oblderzhadministratsia), presidential representatives to the Republic of Crimea, Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
, others. The President does not acts as an ex officio head of state of Crimea. The President can revoke any laws passed by the Council of Ministers of Crimea that are deemed to contradict the Ukrainian Constitution and can provide their presidential consent on a nominee for Prime Minister of Crimea
Prime Minister of Crimea
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the head of government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, located in the southern region of Ukraine. Sometimes referred as the Premier-Minister of Crimea, out of brevity, the position's official name is the...
.
Since September 2011 the President of Ukraine is also head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee while the Justice Minister serves as the secretary of this committee. The committee tasks include a systematic analysis of corruption in Ukraine
Corruption in Ukraine
Corruption is a widespread and growing problem in Ukrainian society. In 2011's Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index Ukraine slipped to the 152th place of 183 countries and territories assessed. Ukraine has slipped from the 134th place in 2010 and the 118th place in 2007...
and the development of measures to combat corruption.
List of the presidential appointments
- Heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine (ambassadors)
- Prime Minister of UkrainePrime Minister of UkraineThe Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
(consent of Verkhovna RadaVerkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
) - Procurator General of Ukraine (consent of Verkhovna Rada)
- Chairman of the Anti-monopoly Committee of Ukraine (consent of Verkhovna Rada)
- Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (consent of Verkhovna Rada)
- Chairman of the State Committee of Ukraine on Television- and Radio-broadcasting (consent of Verkhovna Rada)
- Members of Cabinet of Ministers of UkraineCabinet of Ministers of UkraineThe Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
(submission of Prime-Minister) - Members of other central bodies of executive power (submission of Prime-Minister)
- Heads of local government (submission of Prime Minister)
- Members of the Council of the National Bank of UkraineNational Bank of UkraineNational Bank of Ukraine is the central bank of Ukraine. Its headquarters building, constructed between 1902 and 1934, is located at no. 9 Institutska St., in Kiev-History:...
(one-half of the composition) - Members of the National Council of Ukraine on Television- and Radio-broadcasting (one-half of the composition)
- The High Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and main military formations
- Constitutional Court of UkraineConstitutional Court of UkraineThe Constitutional Court of Ukraine is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine and decides whether laws and other legal acts are constitutional....
(one-third of the composition)
Privileges of office
Sovereign immunity
Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a legal doctrine by which the sovereign or state cannot commit a legal wrong and is immune from civil suit or criminal prosecution....
is granted from all prosecutions and legal proceedings, excluding parliament's right to impeach the president. The title of President of Ukraine itself is protected by law and is reserved for the president for life, unless they have been impeached from office. According to Article 105 of the Constitution, offending the honor and dignity of the President is punishable by law, although no such law has yet been enacted. The President's personal security is provided by the Directory of State Security of Ukraine and a separate presidential regiment provided by the Ministry of Interior.
For their services to the state, the president is allotted a yearly gross salary of ₴
Ukrainian hryvnia
The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'....
283,884 ($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
37,470, 2005). All official and state visits made by the president are operated by the Ukraine Air Enterprise
Ukraine Air Enterprise
Ukraine Air Enterprise is an airline based in Kiev, Ukraine. It was established and started operations in 1996 and operates wet-lease flights on behalf of a number of local organisations including the Ukrainian government.-Fleet:...
Tupolev Tu-134
Tupolev Tu-134
The Tupolev Tu-134 is a twin-engined airliner, similar to the American Douglas DC-9 and the French Sud Aviation Caravelle, and built in the Soviet Union from 1966–1984. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain other Russian airliners , it can operate from unpaved...
presidential airplane. All required aviation transportation is provided by the State Aviation Company "Ukraina" (Ukraine Air Enterprise), the headquarters of which is located in Boryspil
Boryspil
Boryspil is a city located in the Kiev Oblast in northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Boryspil Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast....
.
Administrative and residential buildings
The Presidential Administration of Ukraine is an administrative body set up to provide analytical, advisory and legal assistance to the President. It is colloquially known as "Bankova", because it is located on Bankova StreetBankova Street
Vulytsia Bankova or Bankova is a street located in the Lypky neighborhood of the Pechersk District in central Kiev , the capital of Ukraine...
in a massive building
Presidential Administration Building (Kiev)
Presidential Administration Building is an architectural monument of the Kiev city, the capital of Ukraine. The building is the main office of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine as well as the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine....
across from the House with Chimaeras. The head of the administration, the Chief Secretary, acts as the gray cardinal for the president in the Ukrainian politics. Fourteen state residences are allocated for official Presidential use, which largely remained from the Kuchma-era presidency. The official ceremonial residence is the Mariyinsky Palace
Mariyinsky Palace
Mariyinsky Palace is an official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine in Kiev and adjoins the neo-classical building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine...
in Kiev. Other state residences include the House with Chimaeras
House with Chimaeras
House with Chimaeras or Gorodetsky House is an Art Nouveau building located in the historic Lypky neighborhood of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Situated across the street from the President of Ukraine's office at No. 10, Bankova Street, the building has been used as a presidential residence for...
and the House of the Weeping Widow
House of the Weeping Widow
The House of the Weeping Widow is an architectural landmark in the city of Kiev, capital of Ukraine, located at 23 Lyuteranska Street.-History:...
in Kiev, the Massandra Palace
Massandra
Massandra is a townlet in the Yalta region of Crimea. Occupying the spot of an ancient Greek settlement, Massandra was acquired by Counts Potocki in 1783....
in Crimea, and the newly-renovated Pototsky Palace
Potocki Palace, Lviv
The Potocki Palace in Lviv was built in the 1880s as an urban seat of Alfred Józef Potocki, Minister-President of Austria. No cost was spared to make it the grandest nobleman's residence in the city....
in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. In addition, each former president has been allotted a state-owned dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
in the former forest preserve in Koncha-Zaspa
Koncha-Zaspa
Koncha-Zaspa is a historic neighbourhood in the Holosiiv Raion of the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is located in the southern part of the city....
.
A lot of additional material-technical, social-communal, health care provision support is offered by the State Department of Affairs (abbreviated as DUS) that is created for state officials and subordinated to the President of Ukraine. DUS is a supporting state agency that was restructured in 2000 out of the Presidential Directory of Affairs. Primarily the agency is designated for the President and its administration, while also provides support for the Cabinet of Ministers, parliament, and other state agencies if budget permits.
Official symbols
The President's official state symbols consists of the Presidential StandardPresidential Standard
Several countries use the term Presidential Standard or Presidential Flag to describe the flag used by a president.*Presidential Standard of Argentina*Presidential Standard of Austria*Presidential Standard of Belarus*Presidential Standard of Brazil...
of the Ukrainian Flag, the Seal, the Presidential Sign(collar), and the Presidential bulava. The presidential symbols, along with other important Presidential documents and media, are contained in the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine
The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine is the main academic library and main scientific information centre in Ukraine, one of the world's largest national libraries. It is located in the capital of the country – Kiev. The library contains about 15 million items...
, the country's main academic library
Academic library
An academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff...
. For the President's use, the library prepares documents and analytical materials.
Family
The president's spouse is recognized as the First Lady, much in the similar fashion as in other countries, although such a title holds no official and legal responsibility and is often undisclosed. However, during the Yushchenko Presidency, his marriage to Kateryna Yushchenko and their private life drew a lot of attention from the media. Apart from Kateryna Yushchenko, little else is known about the other presidential spouses,The tradition of the Ukrainian "First family" was established by Kuchma, who became the in-law to his daughter's husband and politician Viktor Pinchuk
Viktor Pinchuk
Victor Pinchuk is a Jewish-Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist. Forbes ranked him # 336 on the list of the wealthiest people in the world, with a fortune of $3.3 billion...
. During the current presidency of Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
, the "first family" meaning was taken to the next level whose son Viktor became a parliamentarian of Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
with the same political party
Party of Regions
The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others...
affiliation.
Impeachment and succession
In order to impeach the President, they must be convicted of treasonTreason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
to the state and other crimes. A two-thirds constitutional majority in the Verkhovna Rada (300 ayes) must support a procedure of impeachment for it to begin. A temporary investigative commission is established by the parliament for the impeachment investigation. The commission's final conclusions are considered at a parliamentary meeting.
To adopt an impeachment resolution, a minimum two-thirds of the parliament must support the impeachment procedure. To remove the President from office, a minimum three-quarters of parliament must support the resolution. The Constitutional and the Supreme Court of Ukraine
Supreme Court of Ukraine
The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction in Ukraine.The Court derives its authority from the Constitution of Ukraine, but much of its structure is outlined in legislation...
's conclusions and decisions are considered at the parliamentary meetings. No President has been impeached from office to date.
In the event that a President is incapable of committing his/her duties as President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The speaker presides over the parliament and its procedures. They are elected by secret ballot from the parliament's deputy ranks...
(currently Volodymyr Lytvyn
Volodymyr Lytvyn
Volodymyr Mykhailovych Lytvyn is a Ukrainian politician and the current Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. Having previously served in that position from 2002 until 2006, he was re-elected in December 2008 after his party agreed to join the former coalition of Yulia...
) becomes the acting president until a new president is elected. The acting president is not given the authority to address the nation and parliament, dismiss the legislative branch and appoint candidates for parliamentary approval of government and judicial posts. The acting president cannot call for a referendum, grant military ranks and state orders and exercise their right of pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
. There are no constitutional provisions for presidential succession in case both the president and chairman's posts are vacant.
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
was conducted in late 2004 and was contested between then-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
and former Prime Minister and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
. The final stages of the election were conducted amidst allegations of media bias, voter intimidation and the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko that was later confirmed to be the result of the poison dioxin.
The first round of voting was held on October 31, 2004 and finished at a near-draw: official figures gave Yanukovych 39.32% and Yushchenko 39.87% of the votes cast. As no candidate reached the 50 percent constitutional margin required for outright victory, a runoff election was scheduled on November 21. Although a 75 percent voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was recorded in the initial vote, observers reported many irregularities, particularly in the regions where Yushchenko's support was seen to be strongest.
According to the official Central Election Commission
Central Election Commission of Ukraine
The Central Election Commission of Ukraine ; sometimes referred to as the Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine) is a permanent and independent collegiate body of the Ukrainian government.- Mission and Authority :...
results announced on November 23, the run-off election was won by Yanukovych with 49.46 percent of the vote to Yushchenko's 46.61 percent, but Yushchenko and his supporters, as well as many international observers, denounced the election as rigged and highly falsified. Their denouncement and subsequent non-recognition of the vote led to a political crisis where widespread peaceful protests, dubbed the "Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
," eventually led to the Ukrainian Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Ukraine
The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction in Ukraine.The Court derives its authority from the Constitution of Ukraine, but much of its structure is outlined in legislation...
annulling the run-off vote's results and ordering a repeat of the second round.
The repeat vote was conducted on December 26. Observers reported a much fairer vote; Viktor Yushchenko won the Presidency with 51.99 percent of the vote, to Yanukovych's 44.2 percent. Yushchenko was eventually declared the winner on January 10, 2005 after the failure of a legal action brought by Yanukovych. Viktor Yushcenko was sworn in as the third President of Ukraine on January 23, 2005.
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1991. The first round of Ukraine's presidential election was held on January 17, 2010. The President of Ukraine is elected by the citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term, on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage, by secret ballot.
A candidate seeking election must be a citizen of Ukraine who has attained the age of thirty-five, has the right to vote, has resided in Ukraine for the past ten years prior to the day of elections, and has command of the state language as required by Article 103 of Ukraine's Constitution.
Nominations by parties and candidates to run in the election closed on November 6, 2009. Eighteen candidates in all have been nominated. The Central Election Committee had until November 11, 2009, to process documentation and finalize the election list.
On January 17, 2010, polling stations were open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Voter turnout was approximately 67 percent, according to official results 24,588,268 votes were recorded in the first round ballot. This compared to 75 percent at the 2004 presidential election. 542,824 votes (2.2%) were recorded as being "against all" with a further 1.6% of the vote declared invalid. Incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
was defeated having received only 5.45% of the vote.
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
and Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
finished first and second in the first round and faced each other in the second round ballot held on February 7. Voter turnout was approximately 69%. With all second round votes counted Yanukovych won the election with 48.95% of the results, compared to Tymoshenko's 45.47%.
The election has been widely recognized and endorsed as being fair and an accurate reflection of voters' intentions by all international agencies observing the election including the OSCE and PACE
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
. A few days after the election, Yanukovych received congratulations from world leaders. Still, Tymoshenko refused to concede defeat, and Tymoshenko's party promised to challenge the result.
On February 14, Viktor Yanukovych, with 48.95% of the popular vote, was declared President-elect and winner of the 2010 Ukrainian Presidential election. According to Article 104 of Ukraine's Constitution the President must be sworn into office within 30 days from the official declaration of the poll before the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian Parliament scheduled Yanukovych's inauguration for February 25.
On February 17, 2010, the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, suspended the results of the election on appeal from Tymoshenko. The court suspended the Central Election Commission of Ukraine
Central Election Commission of Ukraine
The Central Election Commission of Ukraine ; sometimes referred to as the Central Electoral Commission of Ukraine) is a permanent and independent collegiate body of the Ukrainian government.- Mission and Authority :...
ruling that announced that Viktor Yanukovych won the election, but did not postpone or cancel Yanukovych’s inauguration. Tymoshenko withdrew her appeal on February 20.
List of Presidents of Ukraine
The modern Ukrainian presidency was formed when the Verkhovna RadaVerkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
(Supreme Council) of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic passed a law on July 5, 1991 establishing the post of the "President of the Ukrainian SSR." Upon the proclamation of Ukrainian independence
Declaration of Independence of Ukraine
The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on August 24, 1991. The Act established Ukraine as an independent, democratic state....
from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on August 24, 1991, the title was changed to the "President of Ukraine." The first election of the President of Ukraine was contested on December 1, 1991. Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Kravchuk
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a...
was the inaugural holder of the office.
All four Presidents have been members of the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
(parliament) prior to their election as President. Kravchuk was the first (and only) President to have resigned from the office, following a power struggle between Kravchuk and his Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
. Although the 10 is maximum number of years a person can serve, Leonid Kuchma has served a little over 10 and a half, finishing Kravchuk's only term.
| # | President | Elected | Took office | Left office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk is a Ukrainian politician, the first President of Ukraine serving from December 5, 1991 until his resignation on July 19, 1994, a former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and People's Deputy of Ukraine serving in the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine faction.After a... Леонід Кравчук |
1991 Ukrainian presidential election, 1991 The Ukrainian presidential election, 1991 was the first presidential election held in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union. The election was contested on December 1, 1991, with all six candidates campaigning in support of Ukrainian independence... |
5 December 1991 Inauguration: 22 August 1992 |
19 July 1994 | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... / Non-partisan |
| 2 |  |
Leonid Kuchma Leonid Kuchma Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk... Леонід Кучма |
1994 Ukrainian presidential election, 1994 The Ukrainian presidential election, 1994 was held on June 26, 1994 and July 10, 1994. The presidential election was ahead of schedule, following a political compromise between the President and Parliament... |
19 July 1994 | 14 November 1999 | Independent / Non-partisan |
| 1999 Ukrainian presidential election, 1999 The Ukrainian presidential election, 1999 was a presidential election held in 1999 in Ukraine.There were 15 candidates originally with two withdrawing prior to election .... |
14 November 1999 | 23 January 2005 | ||||
| 3 | Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution... Віктор Ющенко |
2004 Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union... |
23 January 2005 | 25 February 2010 | Our Ukraine | |
| 4 | Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002... Віктор Янукович |
2010 Ukrainian presidential election, 2010 The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010... |
25 February 2010 | Incumbent Incumbent The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W... |
Non-partisan (Supported by Party of Regions Party of Regions The Party of Regions is an Ukrainian political party created on October 26, 1997 just prior to the 1998 Ukrainian parliamentary elections under the name of Party of Regional Revival of Ukraine. It was reformed later in 2001 when the party united with several others... ) |