Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada

Presiding officer of Ukraine's unicameral parliament

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Голова Верховної Ради України

Incumbent
Ruslan Stefanchuk

since 8 October 2021

Nominator| Verkhovna Rada
Appointer| Secret ballot
Term length| Five years
Constituting instrument| Article 88, Constitution of Ukraine
Rules of the Procedures of the Verkhovna Rada
Precursor| Chairman of Central Executive Committee (1917–1937)
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (1937-1941, 1947–1991)
Chairman of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (1991-1996)
Inaugural holder| Mykhailo Burmystenko
Formation| 30 January 1937; 88 years ago (1937-01-30) (original)
28 June 1996; 29 years ago (1996-06-28) (current form)
Deputy| First Deputy Chairman
Salary| ₴21,144 monthly[1]
Website| chairman.rada.gov.ua

Politics of Ukraine

Constitution

* Human rights

Presidency

* President
* Volodymyr Zelenskyy

*     Office of the President
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* Prime Minister
* Denys Shmyhal
* Cabinet
* Shmyhal Government

Legislature

* Verkhovna Rada (parliament)

Chairman: Ruslan Stefanchuk
Committees
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Imperative mandate

Judiciary

* Constitutional Court
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Local government

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* 1991 (March)
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* 2000

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Minister: Dmytro Kuleba

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Ukraine

* * *

* Nationality law
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* * *

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See also

* Ukrainian nationalism
* Declaration of Independence
* Proclamation of Independence
* Cassette Scandal
* Ukraine without Kuchma
* Orange Revolution
* Russia–Ukraine gas disputes
* Universal of National Unity
*     * Political crises of 2006
* 2007
* 2008

* Kharkiv Pact
* Annexation of Crimea by Russia
* 2022 Russian invasion

Ukraine portal

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The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Голова Верховної Ради України, romanized: Holova Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy) is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The chairman presides over the parliament and its procedures. Chairmen are elected by open voting from the parliament's deputy ranks.[2]

Ruslan Stefanchuk is the current chairman since being confirmed on 8 October 2021.[3]

## History

[edit]

The office of chairman has existed since the ratification of the Constitution of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on January 30, 1937. Mykhailo Burmystenko, who was appointed on January 30, 1937, was the inaugural holder of the office. The post replaced the existing position of a chairman of Central Executive Committee (1917–37). Along with the chairman, from 1937 to 1996 Verkhovna Rada was also governed by the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada that consisted of about 20 members.

There have been 18 Chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada since 1927. Until Ukraine's independence in 1991, it was titled as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR.

## Mission and authority

[edit]

According to Article 88 of the Ukrainian Constitution, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is allowed to:[4]

1. preside over meetings of parliament;
2. organize work of the Verkhovna Rada and coordinate its activities;
3. sign and promulgate acts adopted by the Verkhovna Rada;
4. represent the parliament in relation with other bodies of state power of Ukraine and with the bodies of power of other states;
5. organize the work of the staff of the parliament.

The chairman is also allowed to call special sessions of parliament,[5] enact bills vetoed by the president only when the Verkhovna Rada votes to overcome the veto by a two-thirds majority, and participate in meetings of the National Security and Defence Council.[6]

The chairman and his two assistants (deputy chairmen) cannot head factions of deputies.[7]

## Head of state

[edit]

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is designated as the first in the order of succession to the presidency, with limited authority (1992–1996, 2004–2010, and 2014-Present) while new presidential elections are conducted.[8] While the chairman serves as acting president, he is barred from taking the following actions:[8]

* disbanding the parliament;
* appointing or submitting candidates for parliamentary approval of government posts;
* granting military ranks or state orders;
* exercising the right of pardon.

### Succession

[edit]

No provisions for presidential succession are explicitly proscribed in case both the president's and chairman's positions are vacant. However, in case of vacancy of the post of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, it is filled by deputies of the chairman.

During the Soviet era, there was one more post known as the chairman of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR who was de jure head of state; the de facto head of state was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

See also: Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

## List of chairmen

[edit]

Main article: List of chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada

## Special state privileges

[edit]

All former chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada receive special state privileges. After the completion of their tenure, former chairmen are provided with an office in the parliament's building, an official government car and an adviser and an aide at state expense.[9]

The respective decree #296 was signed by Volodymyr Lytvyn as early as on June 7, 2006 – a month before he was dismissed from the post of Parliament's Speaker. After three years since its adoption, Verkhovna Rada officials kept silent about the law, after which it was made public by an article in the DELO newspaper in mid-May 2009.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Price of parliamentarism: how effective and transparent Verkhovna Rada spends money (Цена парламентаризма: насколько эффективно и прозрачно Верховная Рада тратит деньги). Agumentua. 14 May 2018
2. ^ Yanukovych signs law on open voting to elect parliamentary chairman, Kyiv Post (19 November 2012)
3. ^ "Stefanchuk Of Ukraine's Ruling Party Becomes New Parliament Speaker". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
4. ^ "Article 88". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
5. ^ "Article 83". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
6. ^ "Article 107". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
7. ^ Rada amends regulations of its activities, Kyiv Post (October 8, 2010)
8. ^ a b "Article 112". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
9. ^ a b Lytvyn makes himself well-provided till end of life, UNIAN (May 15, 2009)

## External links

[edit]

* "Official website of the Chairman". Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
* Высшие органы государственной власти Украинской ССР (Supreme authorities of state power of the Ukrainian SSR)

* v
* t
* e

Verkhovna Rada

* Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (1937–1941, 1947–1991)

Main topics|

* Chairman
* list
* Presidium
* 1938-1996
* People's Deputy of Ukraine
* Committees
* Accounting Chamber
* Ombudsman
* National Parliamentary Library
* Verkhovna Rada building

Parliamentary elections|

* 1918
* 1938
* 1947
* 1951
* 1955
* 1959
* 1963
* 1967
* 1971
* 1975
* 1980
* 1985
* 1990
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2007
* 2012
* 2014
* 2019
* Next

Members of parliament|

| Ukraine|

* First
* members, 1990–94
* Second
* members, 1994–98
* Third
* members, 1998–2002
* Fourth
* members, 2002–06
* Fifth
* members, 2006-07
* Sixth
* members, 2007–12
* Seventh
* members, 2012–14
* Eighth
* members, 2014–19
* Ninth
* members, 2019–

|

Ukrainian SSR|

* First
* members, 1938–1947
* Second
* members, 1947–1951
* Third
* members, 1951–1955
* Fourth
* members, 1955–1959
* Fifth
* members, 1959–1963
* Sixth
* members, 1963–1967
* Seventh
* members, 1967–1971
* Eighth
* members, 1971–1975
* Ninth
* members, 1975–1980
* Tenth
* members, 1980–1985
* Eleventh
* members, 1985–1990

List of chairmen|

| Ukraine|

* Ivan Plyushch
* Oleksandr Moroz
* Oleksandr Tkachenko
* Ivan Plyushch
* Volodymyr Lytvyn
* Oleksandr Moroz
* Arseniy Yatsenyuk
* Oleksandr Lavrynovych (acting)
* Volodymyr Lytvyn
* Volodymyr Rybak
* Oleksandr Turchynov
* Volodymyr Groysman
* Andriy Parubiy
* Dmytro Razumkov
* Ruslan Stefanchuk

|

Ukrainian SSR|

* Mykhailo Burmystenko
* Oleksandr Korniychuk
* Pavlo Tychyna
* Oleksandr Korniychuk
* Mykhailo Bilyi
* Kostiantyn Sytnyk
* Platon Kostiuk
* Volodymyr Ivashko
* Leonid Kravchuk

Presidium|

* Leonid Korniets
* Mykhailo Hrechukha
* Demyan Korotchenko
* Oleksandr Lyashko
* Ivan Hrushetsky
* Oleksiy Vatchenko
* Valentyna Shevchenko
* Volodymyr Ivashko
* Leonid Kravchuk
* Ivan Plyushch
* Oleksandr Moroz

Historic
predecessors|

* Central Council of Ukraine
* All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets
* Central Executive Committee of Ukraine
* Ukrainian Constituent Assembly (never realized)
* Labor Congress of Ukraine
* Soim
* Carpathian Ukraine
* Ukrainian National Council
* West Ukraine
* Council of Republic

See also|

* Politics of Ukraine
* Political parties in Ukraine
* Elections in Ukraine
* Piano voting in Ukraine

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