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Politics of Ukraine

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Politics of Ukraine
Constitution
Presidency
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Local government
Elections
Foreign relations
See also
flag Ukraine portal

Politics of Ukraine takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by both the President and the Government. Legislative power is vested in the parliament (Verkhovna Rada). Scholars have described Ukraine's political system as "weak, fractured, highly personal and ideologically vacuous while the judiciary and media fail to hold politicians to account" (Dr. Taras Kuzio in 2009).[1][2][3] Ukrainian politics has been categorised as "over-centralised" which is seen as both a legacy of the Soviet system and caused by a fear of separatism.[2][4] Corruption in Ukraine is rampant, and widely cited, at home and abroad, as a defining characteristic (and decisive handicap) of Ukrainian society, politics and government.[5][6][7][8]

Constitution of Ukraine

See also: Constitution of Ukraine

Shortly after becoming independent in 1991, Ukraine named a parliamentary commission to prepare a new constitution, adopted a multi-party system, and adopted legislative guarantees of civil and political rights for national minorities. A new, democratic constitution was adopted on 28 June 1996, which mandates a pluralistic political system with protection of basic human rights and liberties, and a semi-presidential form of government.

The Constitution was amended in December 2004[9] to ease the resolution of the 2004 presidential election crisis. The consociationalist agreement transformed the form of government in a semi-presidentialism in which the President of Ukraine had to cohabit with a powerful Prime Minister. The Constitutional Amendments took force between January and May 2006.

The Constitutional Court of Ukraine in October 2010 overturned the 2004 amendments, considering them unconstitutional.[10] The present valid Constitution of Ukraine is therefore the 1996 text.

Fundamental Freedoms

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by law, although religious organizations are required to register with local authorities and with the central government. Minority rights are respected in accordance with a 1991 law guaranteeing ethnic minorities the right to schools and cultural facilities and the use of national languages in conducting personal business. According to the Ukrainian constitution, Ukrainian is the only official state language. However, in Crimea and some parts of eastern Ukraine—areas with substantial ethnic Russian minorities—use of Russian is widespread in official business.

Freedom of speech and press are guaranteed by law, but authorities sometimes interfere with the news media through different forms of pressure (see Freedom of the press in Ukraine). In particular, the failure of the government to conduct a thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the 2000 disappearance and murder of independent journalist Georgiy Gongadze has had a negative effect on Ukraine's international image. Over half of Ukrainians polled by the Razumkov Center in early October 2010 (56.6%) believed political censorship existed in Ukraine.[11]

Official labor unions have been grouped under the Federation of Labor Unions. A number of independent unions, which emerged during 1992, among them the Independent Union of Miners of Ukraine, have formed the Consultative Council of Free Labor Unions. While the right to strike is legally guaranteed, strikes based solely on political demands are prohibited.

Executive branch

Main office-holders
Office Name Party Since
President Petro Poroshenko Independent 7 June 2014
Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman Petro Poroshenko Bloc 14 April 2016

The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term.[12] The President nominates the Prime Minister, who must be confirmed by parliament. The Prime-minister and cabinet are de jure appointed by the Parliament on submission of the President and Prime Minister respectively. Pursuant to Article 114 of the Constitution of Ukraine.

Legislative branch

The Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) has 450 members, elected for a four-year term (five-year between 2006 and 2012 with the 2004 amendments). Prior to 2006, half of the members were elected by proportional representation and the other half by single-seat constituencies. Starting with the March 2006 parliamentary election, all 450 members of the Verkhovna Rada were elected by party-list proportional representation. The Verkhovna Rada initiates legislation, ratifies international agreements, and approves the budget.

The overall trust in legislative powers in Ukraine is very low.[13]

Political parties and elections

See also: Political parties in Ukraine, Elections in Ukraine, and List of Ukrainian elections

Ukrainian parties tend not have clear-cut ideologies[14] but incline to centre around civilizational and geostrategic orientations (rather than economic and socio-political agendas, as in Western politics),[15] around personalities and business interests.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] Party membership is lower than 1% of the population eligible to vote (compared to an average of 4.7% in the European Union[28]).[29][30]

Parties currently represented in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament)

Template:Ukrainian Parliament changes after 2014 election

Former parliamentary parties

Template:Former parliamentarian parties and factions of the Verkhovna Rada

Presidential Election 2014

Main article: Ukrainian presidential election, 2014

Originally scheduled to take place on 29 March 2015, the date was changed to 25 May 2014 following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.[31][32][33] Petro Poroshenko won the elections with 54.7% of the votes.[34] His closest competitor was Yulia Tymoshenko, who emerged with 12.81% of the votes.[34] The Central Election Commission reported voter turnout at over 60% excluding those regions not under government control, Crimea and a large part of the Donbass.[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Since Poroshenko obtained an absolute majority in the first round, a run-off second ballot was unnecessary.[44] Template:Ukrainian presidential election, 2014

Parliamentary Election 2012

Main article: Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2012

Template:Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2012

Presidential Election 2010

Main article: Ukrainian presidential election, 2010

Template:Ukrainian presidential election, 2010

The first round of voting took place on January 17, 2010. Eighteen candidates nominated for election in which incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko was voted out of office having received only 5.45% of the vote. The two highest polling candidates, Viktor Yanukovych (34.32%) and Yulia Tymoshenko (25.05%), will face each other in a final run-off ballot scheduled to take place on February 7, 2010

  • Viktor Yanukovych (First round) - percentage of total national vote (35.33%)
    Viktor Yanukovych (First round) - percentage of total national vote (35.33%)
  • Yulia Tymoshenko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (25.05%)
    Yulia Tymoshenko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (25.05%)
  • Serhiy Tihipko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (13.06%)
    Serhiy Tihipko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (13.06%)
  • Arseniy Yatsenyuk (First round) - percentage of total national vote (6.69%)
    Arseniy Yatsenyuk (First round) - percentage of total national vote (6.69%)
  • Viktor Yushchenko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (5.46%)
    Viktor Yushchenko (First round) - percentage of total national vote (5.46%)
  • Total vote distribution (First round) - percentage of total national vote
    Total vote distribution (First round) - percentage of total national vote

Parliamentary Election 2007

Political alignment 2007
Swing 2006 to 2007 (Top Six parties)
Highest vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Party of Regions vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Our Ukraine People's self-defence vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Communist Party of Ukraine vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Bloc Lytvyn vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Socialist Party of Ukraine vote per region (Percentage by national vote)
Main article: Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007

Template:Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2007

Presidential Election 2004

Main article: Ukrainian presidential election, 2004

The initial second round of the Presidential Election 2004 (on November 17, 2004) was followed by the Orange Revolution, a series of peaceful protests that resulted in the nullification of the second round. The Supreme Court of Ukraine ordered a repeat of the re-run to be held on December 26, 2004, and asked the law enforcement agencies to investigate cases of election fraud.

Template:Ukrainian presidential election, 2004

Judicial branch

Main article: Judicial system of Ukraine

constitutional jurisdiction:

general jurisdiction:

  • the Supreme Court of Ukraine;
  • high specialized courts: the High Arbitration Court of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Вищий господарський суд України), the High Administrative Court of Ukraine;
  • regional courts of appeal, specialized courts of appeal;
  • local district courts.

Laws, acts of the parliament and the Cabinet, presidential edicts, and acts of the Crimean parliament (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) may be nullified by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, when they are found to violate the Constitution of Ukraine. Other normative acts are subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the main body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction.

The Constitution of Ukraine provides for trials by jury. This has not yet been implemented in practice. Moreover, some courts provided for by legislation as still in project, as is the case for, e.g., the Court of Appeals of Ukraine. The reform of the judicial branch is presently under way. Important is also the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, granted with the broad rights of control and supervision.

Local government

Main article: Local government in Ukraine

Administrative divisions of Ukraine are 24 oblasts (regions), with each oblast further divided into rayons (districts). The current administrative divisions remained the same as the local administrations of the Soviet Union. The heads of the oblast and rayon are appointed and dismissed by the President of Ukraine and serve as representatives of the central government in Kyiv. They govern over locally elected assemblies. This system encourages regional elites to compete fiercely for control over the central government and the position of the president.[45]

Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Main article: Politics of Crimea

During 1992 a number of pro-Russian political organizations in Crimea advocated secession of Crimea and annexation to Russia. During USSR times Crimea was ceded from Russia to Ukraine in 1954 by First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Pereyaslav. In July 1992, the Crimean and Ukrainian parliaments determined that Crimea would remain under Ukrainian jurisdiction while retaining significant cultural and economic autonomy, thus creating the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The Crimean peninsula -- while under Ukraininan sovereignty, served as site for major military bases of both Ukrainian and Russian forces, and was heavily populated by ethnic Russians.

In early 2014, Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovich, was ousted by Ukraininans over his refusal to ally Ukraine with the European Union, rather than Russia. In response, Russia invaded Crimea in February 2014 and occupied it.

In March, 2014, a [46] a controversial referendum was held in Crimea, and a "97%" pro-annexation vote was declared by Russia.[47] On 18 March 2014, Russia and the new, self-proclaimed Republic of Crimea signed a treaty of accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol in the Russian Federation. In response, the UN General Assembly passed resolution 68/262 declaring the referendum invalid, and officially supporting Ukraine's claim to Crimea. Although Russian forces remain in control (in April 2016), Ukraine and nearly all other nations reject Russia's claim to the territory.[48][49]

International organization participation

BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS (participating), EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee

See also

Center for Adaptation of Civil Service to the Standards of EU - public institution established by the Decree of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to facilitate administrative reform in Ukraine and to enhance the adaptation of the civil service to the standards of the European Union.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Politics of Ukraine.

References

  1. ^ Populism in Ukraine in Comparative European Context, Taras Kuzio (24 April 2009)
  2. ^ a b Ukraine at a Crossroads, Peter Lang, 2005, ISBN 978-3-03910-468-0 (page 43)
  3. ^ The Making of Regions in Post-Socialist Europe: The Impact of Culture, Economic Structure and Institutions, Vol. II:Case Studies from Poland, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine by Melanie Tatur, VS Verlag, 2004, ISBN 978-3-8100-3814-2 (page 111)
  4. ^ The Making of Regions in Post-Socialist Europe: The Impact of Culture, Economic Structure and Institutions, Vol. II:Case Studies from Poland, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine by Melanie Tatur, VS Verlag, 2004, ISBN 978-3-8100-3814-2 (page 349)
  5. ^ Dorell, Oren and Kim Hjelmgaard, "2 years after revolution, corruption plagues war-torn Ukraine,", Feb. 21, 2016, USA Today
  6. ^ New York Times Editorial Board, "Ukraine’s Unyielding Corruption," (editorial), March 30, 2016, New York Times.
  7. ^ "Ostrich zoo and vintage cars: The curse of corruption in Ukraine,", Jun 14th 2014, The Economist
  8. ^ "Fighting corruption in Ukraine: A serious challenge," (press release), Oct. 31, 2012., Transparency International
  9. ^ Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada decree No. 2222-IV: About the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Adopted on 2004-12-08. (Ukrainian)
  10. ^ Update: Return to 1996 Constitution strengthens president, raises legal questions, Kyiv Post (October 1, 2010)
  11. ^ Over half of Ukrainians feel political censorship, Kyiv Post (October 9, 2010)
  12. ^ "New Ukrainian president will be elected for 5-year term – Constitutional Court". Interfax-Ukraine. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  13. ^ 84% of Ukrainians do not trust parliament, Radio Ukraine (December 23, 2009)
  14. ^ Against All Odds:Aiding Political Parties in Georgia and Ukraine by Max Bader, Vossiuspers UvA, 2010, ISBN 978-90-5629-631-5 (page 82)
  15. ^ Ukraine right-wing politics: is the genie out of the bottle?, openDemocracy.net (January 3, 2011)
  16. ^ Black Sea Politics:Political Culture and Civil Society in an Unstable Region, I. B. Tauris, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84511-035-2 (page 45)
  17. ^ State-Building:A Comparative Study of Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia by Verena Fritz, Central European University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-963-7326-99-8 (page 189)
  18. ^ Political Parties of Eastern Europe:A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era by Janusz Bugajski, M.E. Sharpe, 2002, ISBN 978-1-56324-676-0 (page 829)
  19. ^ Ukraine and European Society (Chatham House Papers) by Tor Bukkvoll, Pinter, 1998, ISBN 978-1-85567-465-3 (page 36)
  20. ^ How Ukraine Became a Market Economy and Democracy by Anders Åslund, Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2009, ISBN 978-0-88132-427-3
  21. ^ The Rebirth of Europe by Elizabeth Pond, Brookings Institution Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-8157-7159-3 (page 146)
  22. ^ Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe by Uwe Backes and Patrick Moreau, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008, ISBN 978-3-525-36912-8 (page 383 and 396)
  23. ^ The Crisis of Russian Democracy:The Dual State, Factionalism and the Medvedev Succession by Richard Sakwa, Cambridge University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-521-14522-0 (page 110)
  24. ^ To Balance or Not to Balance:Alignment Theory And the Commonwealth of Independent States by Eric A. Miller, Ashgate Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7546-4334-0 (page 129)
  25. ^ Ukraine:Challenges of the Continuing Transition, National Intelligence Council (Conference Report August 1999)
  26. ^ Understanding Ukrainian Politics:Power, Politics, And Institutional Design by Paul D'Anieri, M. E. Sharpe, 2006, ISBN 978-0-7656-1811-5 (page 189)
  27. ^ Former German Ambassador Studemann views superiority of personality factor as fundamental defect of Ukrainian politics, Kyiv Post (December 21, 2009)
  28. ^ Research, European Union Democracy Observatory
  29. ^ Ukraine: Comprehensive Partnership for a Real Democracy, Center for International Private Enterprise, 2010
  30. ^ Poll: Ukrainians unhappy with domestic economic situation, their own lives, Kyiv Post (September 12, 2011)
  31. ^ "BBC News – Ukrainian president and opposition sign early poll deal". Bbc.co.uk. 21 February 2014.
  32. ^ "Ukraine president announces early elections – Europe". Al Jazeera English.
  33. ^ "Ukraine's President Yanukovich declares early elections, constitutional reforms – RT News". Rt.com. 21 February 2014.
  34. ^ a b "Poroshenko wins presidential election with 54.7% of vote - CEC". Radio Ukraine International. 29 May 2014.
    Template:Ru icon Results election of Ukrainian president, Телеграф (29 May 2014)
  35. ^ Interfax (2014-05-26). "Ukrainian presidential election turnout tops 60 percent - chief election official | Russia Beyond The Headlines". Rbth.com. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  36. ^ "CEC chair: Ukrainian presidential election turnout tops 60 percent". Kyivpost.com. 2014-05-26. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  37. ^ Ukraine elections: Runners and risks, BBC News (22 May 2014)
  38. ^ Q&A: Ukraine presidential election, BBC News (7 February 2010)
  39. ^ Ukraine crisis timeline, BBC News
  40. ^ EU & Ukraine 17 April 2014 FACT SHEET, European External Action Service (17 April 2014)
  41. ^ Gutterman, Steve. "Putin signs Crimea treaty, will not seize other Ukraine regions". Reuters.com. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  42. ^ Poroshenko Declares Victory in Ukraine Presidential Election, The Wall Street Journal (25 May 2014)
  43. ^ Russia will recognise outcome of Ukraine poll, says Vladimir Putin, The Guardian (23 May 2014)
  44. ^ Ukraine talks set to open without pro-Russian separatists, The Washington Post (14 May 2014)
  45. ^ "The Politics of Regionalism". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  46. ^ "Russian Roulette: The Invasion of Ukraine (Dispatch One)". vicenews.com. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  47. ^ "Official results: 97 percent of Crimea voters back joining Russia". cbsnews.com. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  48. ^ Alex Felton; Marie-Louise Gumuchian (27 March 2014). "U.N. General Assembly resolution calls Crimean referendum invalid". cnn.com. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  49. ^ Michel, Casey, [one-year-after-russias-annexation-world-has-forgotten-crimea "The Crime of the Century,"], March 4, 2015, The New Republic

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