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Legislative Power in Ukraine

The parliament of Ukraine – the Verkhovna Rada – is the main legislative body of the country according to the Constitution of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada means “the Supreme Council” in Ukrainian. The Verkhovna Rada of independent Ukraine began on July 16, 1990. On that day the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR of the 12th convocation voted in favor of the Declaration of the Ukrainian state sovereignty. In accord with the document, Article 6 of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had been abrogated and separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial branches as the foundation of the machinery of government declared.

From the time of unanimous backing by the Rada of the Act of Declaration of Ukrainian Independence on August 24, 1991, the rebirth of the Parliament in new conditions began. In February of 2000 it adopted the decision to alter the numeration of convocation making the 12th convocation of the parliament it operated on the permanent basis from 1990 until 1994 be named the First Convocation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Parliamentary elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine were held five times in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2007.

Structure of the Legislative Body

The Rada is a unicameral parliament consisting of 450 deputies who are elected by secret ballot for four-year terms through general, equal and direct suffrage.

The Rada is presided by the Head of the Verkhovna Rada chosen by secret voting of the people’s deputies. Two deputies also are elected by legislators’ secret ballot. In their activity, the head of the Verkhovna Rada and his or her deputies are assisted by the appropriate secretariats.

The principal special agencies of the Rada are the committees that draft laws. Such a committee is designated to be the major elaborator of a certain bill or draft of an act of the legislative body. The committee generalizes and classifies the proposals, amendments and conclusions of other committees to prepare them for consideration by the full Rada.

Within the scope of its power, the Verkhovna Rada is authorized to form special interim commissions for to study issues and prepare them for consideration. The Rada may also form interim investigative commissions to look into matters of public interest, subject to approval of at least one third of the Rada. The Accounting Chamber audits government budget expenditures on behalf of the Rada.

Deputies

People’s deputies discharge their duties on a permanent basis. They are not allowed to be in other government service or have other representative conflicts. Deputies are selected from their respective political parties based on the percentage of total seats that each party wins in the parliamentary election. For example, if a particular party wins 30 percent of the vote it is entitled to seat 30 percent of 450 deputies, or a total of 135 deputies.

The delegated power of the people’s deputies of Ukraine starts from the moment of taking the loyalty oath to Ukraine. The refusal to swear entails losing a deputy’s mandate. People’s deputies are ensured parliamentary immunity.

Delegated Powers and Activities

The power to initiate legislation belongs to the president of Ukraine, people’s deputies, the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Bank of Ukraine.

The Verkhovna Rada comes into representative power subject to two thirds of its constitutional composition having been elected and operates in sessions that regularly start on the first Tuesdays in February and September. The decisions of the Rada of Ukraine are adopted exclusively during its plenary meetings through personal voting by the people’s deputies.

The president of Ukraine signs the laws adopted by the Rada and has the right to veto them.

The basic powers and tasks of the Verkhovna Rada are to introduce amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine; call an all-Ukrainian referendum on a set range of issues; enact legislation; adopt the state budget of Ukraine and its rectification; determine the principles of domestic and foreign policies; appoint elections of the president of Ukraine; accept nomination of a prime minister by the president; declare the state of war and make peace; affirm the president’s decisions on the use of the armed forces and other military formations in case of aggression against the country; adopt the state programs of economic, scientific and technical, social, and national-cultural development; and enact programs for preservation of the environment.

On the motion of at least one third of the membership, the Verkhovna Rada may take into consideration the issue of the responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and adopt a no-confidence vote by its constitutional majority.

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