The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

parliament of

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. It consists of 450

deputies A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nati ...

presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the

Verkhovna Rada building The Verkhovna Rada building () is located in the center of Kyiv, in the Pecherskyi District. The building is located at the Constitution Square. It is the place where the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) meets for all regular and ceremonial ...

in Ukraine's capital

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

. The Verkhovna Rada developed out of the systems of the republican representative body known in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

as the

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

(Supreme Council) that was first established on 26 June 1938 as a type of legislature of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

after the dissolution of the Congress of Soviets of the Ukrainian SSR.Verkhovna Rada
in the

Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine ''Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine'' () is an illustrated encyclopedia on history of Ukraine in 10 volumes. It was published in Ukrainian language in 2003–2013 and 2019Ihor Syundyukov. Ukraine and Ukrainians: Eternal search (Україна ...

The 12th convocation of the

Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (; ) was the Supreme Soviet, supreme soviet (main Legislature, legislative institution) and the highest organ of state power of Ukraine when it was known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukra ...

( elected in 1990) issued the

Declaration of Independence of Ukraine The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (''Verkhovna Rada'') on 24 August 1991.market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production, and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand. The major characteristic of a mark ...

and

political liberalization Democratization, or democratisation, is the structural government transition from an authoritarian government to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. Whether and to what ...

, and officially changed the numeration of its sessions, proclaiming itself the first convocation of the "Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine". The current parliament is the ninth convocation. Because of the

war in Donbas The war in Donbas, or the Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. The war Timeline of the war in Donbas (2014), began in April 2014, when Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, Russian para ...

and the unilateral annexation of

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

by Russia, elections for the

constituencies An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

situated in

Donbas The Donbas (, ; ) or Donbass ( ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word ''Donbas'' is a portmanteau formed fr ...

and Crimea were not held in the

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

and

2019 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2019. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has a calendar of upcoming elections around the world, and the National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections in cou ...

; hence the current composition of the Verkhovna Rada consists of 424 deputies. The Verkhovna Rada previously used a mixed voting system, in which 50% of the seats were distributed under party lists with a 5%

election threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various w ...

and the other 50% through

first-past-the-post First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...

voting systems in

single-member constituencies A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a Multiwinner voting, multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as ...

.Parliament passes law on parliamentary elections
''

Kyiv Post The ''Kyiv Post'' is Ukraine’s first and most prominent English-language newspaper. It was founded in 1995 in Kyiv by American businessman Jed Sunden. In 2018, the publication was acquired by prominent Ukrainian businessman Adnan Kivan, foun ...

'' (17 November 2011) The method of 50/50 mixed elections was used in the 2002, 2012, 2014 and 2019 elections; however, in 2006 and 2007, the elections were held under a proportional system only.Ukrainian communists to seek return to proportional electoral system
,

Interfax-Ukraine Interfax-Ukraine () is a Ukrainian news agency. Founded in 1992, the company publishes in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German. The company owns a 50-seat press centre. The staff of the agency is 105 people (as of the end of February 2022) ...

(8 November 2012) According to the election law that became valid on 1 January 2020, the next election to the Verkhovna Rada, set to be held after the Russian invasion of Ukraine ends, will be held under a proportional system.

Name

The name ''

Rada The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

'' () means "council". The institution originated in the time of

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

and then represented a council of

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. C ...

s and of the higher clergy. In the 17th and 18th centuries the

Dnieper Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks (in Latin ''Cossacorum Zaporoviensis''), also known as the Zaporozhian Cossack Army or the Zaporozhian Host (), were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids. Along with Registered Cossack ...

used the term to refer to the meetings where major decisions were made; the Cossacks elected new councils by popular vote. The

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

between 17 March 1917 and 29 April 1918 had a

Central Rada The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council (), was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations o ...

. The

West Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...

and the Ukrainian government-in-exile each had a UNRada (Ukrainian National Rada). The current name of the parliament derives from the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

practice of calling the national parliament and parliaments of its constituent republics ''Supreme Soviets'' (). Like in many other Soviet republics, ''Verkhovna Rada'' is a localized version of this term used in the

. After Ukraine regained independence in 1991, the term ''Verkhovnaya Rada'' () had been in use in both Russian and Ukrainian-based

russophone This article details the geographical distribution of Russian-speakers. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the status of the Russian language often became a matter of controversy. Some Post-Soviet states adopted policies of Derus ...

media as a

loan translation In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language whil ...

of the Ukrainian term. ''Verkhovna'', the feminine form of the adjective meaning ''supreme'', derives from the Ukrainian word meaning "top". Another name, used less commonly, is the ''Parliament of Ukraine'' ().

History

1917–1990

in 1917–18 * Ukrainian National Rada in 1918 (West Ukraine) * Labour Congress of Ukraine in 1919 (along with West Ukrainian delegates) * Rada of the Republic in 1921 (exiled in

Tarnów Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east– ...

, Poland) The

Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (; ) was the Supreme Soviet, supreme soviet (main Legislature, legislative institution) and the highest organ of state power of Ukraine when it was known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukra ...

replaced the

All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets The All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets (, ) was the supreme governing body of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1917–38. From 1922 to 1938 the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, modeled on the 1918 Russian Constitution, mandated tha ...

and was a type of legislative authority of Soviet Ukraine according to the 1937

Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union, had four successive constitutions during its existence. The first (1919) was in Russian and the final three were in Ukrainian. The final constitution remained effective until ...

. The All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets had already been renamed the Supreme Council in 1927. The Congress of Soviets was initiated by its Central Executive Committee, which it elected and held accountable. The last chairman of the committee was

Hryhoriy Petrovsky Grigory Ivanovich Petrovsky (, ; 4 February 1878 – 10 January 1958) was a Ukrainian Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik. He participated in signing the Treaty on the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Treaty of Brest-Li ...

(also known as Grigoriy Petrovskiy in Russian transliteration). The first elections to the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR took place on 26 June 1938. The first session of the parliament took place in Kyiv from 25 July through to 28 July 1938. The first chairman of the council was Mykhailo Burmystenko who later died during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1938, a

Presidium A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some countries' political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one. The term is also sometimes used for the ...

was elected by the council that was chaired by

Leonid Korniyets Leonid Romanovych Korniyets (; 21 August 1901 – 29 May 1969) was a Ukrainian and Soviet politician, who served as the head of government of Ukrainian SSR (today's equivalent of prime-minister) from 1939 to 1944. Biography Leonid Korni ...

. The Presidium represented the council whenever it was not in session. During the war, the Presidium was evacuated to the city of

Saratov Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...

in the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

. On 29 June 1943, the Presidium issued an order postponing elections for the new convocation for one year while extending the first convocation. On 8 January 1944, the

Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic () was the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, government (1946–1991). The council replaced the Council of People's C ...

in agreement with the Communist Party decided to relocate the Presidium of the Supreme Council from Kharkiv to Kyiv. New elections were scheduled for 9 February 1947 for the Council. Tymoshenko Appointment Feb04 2005

1990–present

Until 24 August 1991, Verkhovna Rada kept the name

. The first partially free elections to the Verkhovna Rada and local councils of people's deputies were held on 4 March 1990. Although the Communist Party still remained in control, a " Democratic Bloc" was formed by numerous parties, including

People's Movement of Ukraine The People's Movement of Ukraine () is a Ukraine, Ukrainian political party and one of the first Opposition (politics), opposition parties in Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Ukraine.The first officially registered opposition politica ...

(''Rukh''), Helsinki Watch Committee of Ukraine,

Party of Greens of Ukraine The Party of Greens of Ukraine (, PZU) is a Ukrainian green political party founded in 1990 by Yuriy Shcherbak and registered in May 1991. The party is a successor of the Green World Association (founded December 1987) and under that name p ...

, and many others. The twelfth convocation of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR issued the

Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine (, ) was adopted on July 16, 1990, by the recently elected parliament of Ukrainian SSR by a vote of 355 for and four against. The document decreed that Ukrainian SSR laws took precedence over the l ...

on 16 July 1990, and declared

Ukrainian independence Ukraine emerged as the concept of a nation, and Ukrainians as a nationality, with the Ukrainian National Revival which began in the late 18th and early 19th century. The first wave of national revival is traditionally connected with the publi ...

on 24 August 1991, at approximately 6 p.m. local time. At the time, the

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine () is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russi ...

was

Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (, ; 10 January 1934 – 10 May 2022) was a Ukrainian politician and the first president of Ukraine, serving from 5 December 1991 until 19 July 1994. In 1992, he signed the Lisbon Protocol, undertaking to give up Ukrai ...

. The Act of Ukrainian Independence was overwhelmingly supported in a national referendum held on 1 December 1991. On 12 September 1991, the parliament adopted the law "On the Legal Succession of Ukraine". Thus, the VR became the ''Supreme Council of Ukraine''. The

Constitution of Ukraine The Constitution of Ukraine (, ) is the fundamental law of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the ''Verkhovna Rada'', the parliament of Ukraine, on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes o ...

was adopted by the thirteenth convocation of the Verkhovna Rada on 28 June 1996, at approximately 9 a.m. local time. The parliament's fourteenth convocation officially changed the numbering of the convocations proclaiming itself the ''third'' (democratic and independent) convocation of the Verkhovna Rada. After the

Orange Revolution The Orange Revolution () was a series of protests that led to political upheaval in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005. It gained momentum primarily due to the initiative of the general population, sparked by the aftermath of the ...

constitutional amendments A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...

were adopted in December 2004, by the fourth (fifteenth) convocation of the Verkhovna Rada. On 1 October 2010, the

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 in terms of laws and other legal acts. The Court initiated its ac ...

overturned the 2004 Amendments, considering them unconstitutional. On 21 February 2014, parliament reinstated the December 2004 amendments to the constitution.Ukrainian parliament reinstates 2004 Constitution

(21 February 2014) In 2017 and 2018, the website of the Verkhovna Rada was the most popular among all websites of the parliaments of

UN member states The United Nations comprise sovereign states and the world's largest intergovernmental organization. All members have equal representation in the UN General Assembly. The Charter of the United Nations defines the rules for admission of ...

Location

The Verkhovna Rada meets in a neo-classical building within Constitution Square on Mykhaila Hrushevsky Street, Kyiv. The building adjoins Mariinskyi Park and the 18th century

Mariinskyi Palace The Mariinskyi Palace () is the official residence of the president of Ukraine. The Elizabethan baroque palace is sited on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv, Ukraine, adjoining the Neoclassical architecture, neo-classical Verkhovna Rada ...

, the official residence of the

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

. After the transfer of the capital of the Ukrainian SSR from

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

to Kyiv in 1934, a several government buildings was planned for the city. In 1936, a contest for the construction of the parliament building was won by architect Volodymyr Zabolotny. The original building was constructed from 1936 to 1938. Destroyed in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the building was reconstructed from 1945 to 1947. The rebuilt glass dome is one metre higher than the original.

Other locations

* Palace Ukraina, site of President

Leonid Kuchma Leonid Danylovych Kuchma (, ; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine, serving from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. The only president of Ukraine to serve two terms, his presidency was marked by demo ...

's inauguration *

Ukrainian House The Ukrainian House International Convention Center (), is the largest international exhibition and convention center in Kyiv, Ukraine. The five-storey building is the host venue for a variety of events from exhibitions, trade fairs and confere ...

(21 January 2000) * Building of budget committee (6–8 vulytsia Bankova on 4 April 2013)

Mission and authority

The Verkhovna Rada is the sole body of

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

power in Ukraine. The parliament determines the principles of domestic and foreign policy, introduces amendments to the

, adopts laws, approves the state

budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...

, designates elections for the

, impeaches the president, declares war and peace, appoints the

Prime Minister of Ukraine The prime minister of Ukraine (, , ) is the head of government of Ukraine. The prime minister presides over the government of Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the government of Ukrain ...

, appoints or confirms certain officials, appoints one-third of the

, ratifies and denounces international treaties, and exercises certain control functions. The constitution of Ukraine stipulates that the Verkhovna Rada is authorized to fulfill its functions under the condition that at least two-thirds of its constitutional composition (300 or more people's deputies) are elected.A record number of people's deputies remained in the Council. What's next?

Civil movement "Chesno" Chesno () is a Ukrainian public campaign that emerged late 2011 to advance a fair election process. It is widely known for its critical analysis and evaluation of politicians and the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in Ukraine. The organization provi ...

(8 December 2023) In Ukraine there are no requirements for the minimum number of signatures (of deputies) to register a bill. In general the parliament adopts about 200 bills per year. An average of five to six bills are registered daily in parliament. As a result of this in the spring of 2019 parliament had more than 10 thousand registered and under consideration bills it had yet to debate. All procedural regulations are contained in the Law on Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The latest version of the document was adopted on 16 December 2012, in which through the initiative of the

amendments were made concerning registration and voting by parliamentarians. 2012 became a year of numerous changes in regards to the document, among which were changes to the election of the chairman. Bills are usually considered following the procedure of three readings; the President of Ukraine must sign a law before it can be officially

promulgated Promulgation is the formal proclamation or the declaration that a new statutory or administrative law is enacted after its final approval. In some jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect. After a new law i ...

. Until 2017 the parliament appointed and dismissed

judges A judge is an official who presides over a court. Judge or Judges may also refer to: Roles *Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc. *Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...

from their posts and permitted detention or arrest of judges (those powers were transferred to the High Council of Justice).

Composition

The Verkhovna Rada is a

legislature with 450 people's deputies () elected on the basis of equal and direct universal suffrage through a secret ballot.

Parliamentary factions, groups, and parties

All members of parliament are grouped into parliamentary factions and groups. Members of parliament who were elected from a certain party list are not necessarily members of that party. Parties that break the 5% electoral threshold form factions in the parliament. The formation of official parliamentary factions is regulated by the Verkhovna Rada's rules and procedures. Only 15 or more deputies may form a parliamentary faction and an MP may be a member of only one faction at a time. The chairman and his two vice-chairmen may not be the heads of factions.Rada amends regulations of its activities
''

'' (8 October 2010) Under current parliamentary rules a faction of non-partisan politicians can not be smaller than the smallest faction of a political party. Deputies who are expelled from factions or decide to leave them to become individual lawmakers; individual deputies are allowed to unite into parliamentary groups of people's deputies that again have at least 15 deputies. Several influential parties have been founded after originally being formed as a faction in the Verkhovna Rada, for example, the

Party of Regions A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" The All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" (), referred to as Batkivshchyna (), is a political party in Ukraine led by People's Deputy of Ukraine, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. As the core party of the former Yulia Tymoshenko Blo ...

and

Labour Ukraine Labour Ukraine ()
Database DATA is a

Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough
by

Anders Aslund Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis. In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names fo ...

and Michael A. McFaul,

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Foun ...

, 2006, Each parliamentary faction or group appoints a leader. Since the Imperative mandate provisions of the

Ukrainian constitution The Constitution of Ukraine (, ) is the fundamental law of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the ''Verkhovna Rada'', the parliament of Ukraine, on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes o ...

came into effect again in February 2014 a political party can withdraw a parliamentary mandate if one of their MPs leaves its parliamentary faction. MPs who

defected In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

from one faction to another were derided as "tushky" (carcass). The insult was applied to MPs allegedly bribed to switch factions.Young people show Yanukovych 'red card'
, ''

'' (27 February 2012) Parliament is primarily male. Women accounted for 8.5% of MPs in 2010, 10% after the 2012 parliamentary election and 11.1% after the 2014 parliamentary election, the highest in history. Conversely, female representation in national legislatures within the EU was 25% as of 2014. Female representation rose considerably after the 2019 elections, achieving a 21% female Rada. On 20 March 2022, the activities of the main opposition party,

Opposition Platform — For Life The Opposition Platform – For Life (; , OPZZh) was a Russophilia, pro-Russian and Euroscepticism, Eurosceptic Political parties in Ukraine, political party in Ukraine banned after the 2022 Russian invasion. The party was the successor of Fo ...

were suspended by the

National Security and Defense Council The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, ( NSDCU; , ''RNBOU'') or RNBO, is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukraine on issues of national security and defense. It is a state agency tasked wi ...

for the period of

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

due to allegations of having ties to Russia made by the Council during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biggest parliamentary factions

* 1990–1994

Communist Party of Ukraine The Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU or KPU) is a banned political party in Ukraine. It was founded in 1993 and claimed to be the successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party of Ukraine, which had been banned in 1991. In 2002 it held a "unifi ...

(After the failed

1991 August Putsch The 1991 Soviet coup attempt, also known as the August Coup, was a failed attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to Coup d'état, forcibly seize control of the country from Mikhail Gorbachev, who was President ...

in Moscow it was simply called as Group of 239) * 1994–2002

* 2002–2006 Viktor Yushchenko Bloc "Our Ukraine" * 2006–2014

* 2014

* 2014–2019

Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity" European Solidarity (, ; , YeS) is a political party in Ukraine. It has its roots in a parliamentary group called Solidarity dating from 2000 and has existed since in various forms as a political outlet for Petro Poroshenko. The party with its the ...

* 2019–present

Servant of the People Servant of the People (; ''SN'') is a Liberalism, liberal, Centrism, centrist, Pro-Europeanism, pro-European List of political parties in Ukraine, political party in Ukraine. Since both the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election and the 2019 Ukra ...

Members of Parliament

Members of the Verkhovna Rada are known officially as "People's Deputies of Ukraine" (PDs). According to the "Law on elections of national deputies of Ukraine", a citizen of Ukraine may become a People's Deputy if he or she has, on the day of the election, a) reached 21 years of age; b) political franchise; c) resided in Ukraine for the last five years. Deputies have the right to free transportation, free use of the hall of official delegations, free housing, free medical services and free vacations at

health spa Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, pain ...

s. Each deputy is allowed to have up to 31 assistant-consultants, four of which may be admitted into the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada. Until 2019, the

Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

, Prime Minister, members of the government and deputies all had

parliamentary immunity Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which politicians or other political leaders are granted full immunity from legal prosecution, both civil prosecution and criminal prosecution, in the course of the exe ...

Official Immunity Turns Into Campaign Issue In Ukraine

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

(16 August 2007) and agents of law enforcement were prohibited from searching their homes or following them.Case of fugitive ex-deputy, a murder suspect, heats up immunity debate
''

'' (9 July 2009) During the

and the campaign for the 2007 parliamentary election Party of Regions, OU-PSD and BYuT all promised to strip lawmakers of parliamentary immunity. In June 2008 the parliament failed to adopt the '' Bill on restriction of privileges for deputies and introduction of imperative mandate''. 192 of 436 PDs registered in the plenary hall voted in favor of the bill. The factions of the opposition Party of Regions, as well as the CPU and the Lytvyn Bloc, voted against it. The OU-PSD faction voted partially in favor, while the bill's sponsor, the BYUT, voted unanimously. A proposal to send the bill for first reading a second time also failed.Verkhovna Rada failed to adopt bill on restriction of privileges for deputies and introduction of imperative mandate
,

National Radio Company of Ukraine The Ukrainian radio (), also called Radio Ukraine, is the publicly funded radio broadcaster in Ukraine since 1924. In 2017 it was merged with national TV company into the country's public broadcaster Suspilne.

(18 June 2008) In May 2009 the second Tymoshenko Government approved a bill amending the ''Law on the status of a people's deputy of Ukraine'', which reduced the privileges of incumbent and former deputies. The parliament canceled some benefits and payments to lawmakers in December 2011. A PD's absence from the Rada may be punished by withholding their salary. In December 2019, PDs lost most aspects of parliamentary immunity, with the exception of statements and votes conducted in parliament or its bodies . Several local millionaires have been members of the Rada.#11 Richest: Andriy Verevsky, 36
''

'' (17 December 2010)#5 Richest: Kostyantyn Zhevago, 36
''

'' (17 December 2010) In early 2020, the

party announced plans to reduce the number of deputies from 450 to 300. A vote garnered 236 votes in favor, 40 against, and 86 abstentions.

Oath of office

Before assuming office, deputies must take the following oath before the leadership of the Rada and fellow deputies on the first day of a new session of the Rada. In the original Ukrainian: English translation:

Other offices

Chairman and deputy chairmen

The Verkhovna Rada elects from among its ranks a Chairman (Speaker; ), a First Deputy Chairman, and a Second Deputy Chairman.Leaders of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Official website of the Verkhovna Rada. Before the Chairman of a newly convoked Rada is elected,

parliamentary session A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections. ...

s are presided over by members of a temporary presidium of the first session (). The temporary presidium is composed of five deputies, representing the four largest parliamentary factions plus the chairman of a preparatory deputy group of the first parliamentary session. However, the Rada may deviate from this composition. Chairman duties include presiding over parliamentary sessions, signing bills and parliamentary acts before sending them to the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

for

promulgation Promulgation is the formal proclamation or the declaration that a new statute, statutory or administrative law is enacted after its final Enactment of a bill, approval. In some jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary ...

, and organising staff work. The chairman is empowered to call

special session In a legislature, a special session (also extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by confli ...

s of parliament, enact bills vetoed by the

should the Rada vote to overturn the veto by a

two-thirds majority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fund ...

, and participate in meetings of the National Security and Defence Council. Should the office of President of Ukraine become vacant, the chairman becomes the acting head of state, though with limited authority. As head of state, the chairman may dissolve parliament, appoint candidates to critical posts or submit such candidates for parliamentary approval, grant military ranks, create state orders, and exercise the right of

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

. There are no codified constitutional or legal instructions for succession if there is simultaneously no President or chairman.

Presidium

The Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada is a collective name adapted for the chairman and their deputies out of tradition. Before the

collapse of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

, it was an official office elected at the first session of each convocation of the Supreme Soviet. Originally it consisted of a chairman, their two deputies, a secretary, and 19 additional members. The Presidium was regulated by Section 106 of the 1978

, which granted Presidium almost all of the Rada's powers wherever the latter was not in session, on the condition that any decrees be laid at the next parliamentary session for approval. Since the adoption of the

Ukrainian Constitution The Constitution of Ukraine (, ) is the fundamental law of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the ''Verkhovna Rada'', the parliament of Ukraine, on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes o ...

, the Presidium has been abolished. However, Rada leadership including the current chairman, their deputies and potentially faction leaders are sometimes called the Presidium. Article 18 of the Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada require the first session of every newly elected parliament be headed by a temporary presidium of six MPs.

Ceremonial opening and the first session of new convocation

The first session of each newly elected parliament is highly important. A "Preparation" deputy group is tasked with planning the first session, with support from the Rada's Office. The Preparation group is composed of newly elected PDs under the authority of the previous session's chairman or their personal deputies. This is required by Article 13 of the Regulations. The Preparation group elects its own chairperson, the chairperson's deputies deputy and a secretary. The group is also responsible for establishing committees. Before the opening of the first session, all newly elected PDs gather for the oath ceremony. This is required by Article 14 of the Regulations. Invitations to take the oath are given by the chairman of the previous convocation. The chairman grants the leading word to the oldest PD, and asks PDs stand and recite the oath aloud. PDs sign a copy of the oath as well, which is then stored in the Rada's archives. Plenary meetings of the first session review the following matters: formation of the provisional presidium, establishment and registration of the factions, pending legislation and the elections of the Counting Commission, the chairman, and the chairman's deputies. They also conduct hearings on extraordinary messages on domestic and foreign affairs from the President, hearings regarding the Preparation group report and parliamentary committees. They also address the Conciliation board of deputy factions in the media coverage of Rada activities and sessions.

Office of the Verkhovna Rada

The Office of the Verkhovna Rada is a support department providing organizational, legal, social, analytical and other assistance to parliament, other departments with parliament, and PDs. The Office is officially non-partisan, existing mainly to provide secretarial help. Before the first session of each new parliament, the Office provides PDs various documents, including the

, the Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada, election results from the

Central Election Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...

, the Law of Ukraine on the Status of People's Deputies, and others. This is required by Article 12 of the Regulations.

Office of the Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman was established in 1998 and led by

Nina Karpachova Nina Ivanivna Karpachova (; born 12 August 1957) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician. She was the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights from 1998 until 2012. Early life and career Karpachova attended Kyiv University and completed a ...

until 2012. The Office of the Ombudsman has its own secretariat and advisory council. The current Ombudsman is

Lyudmyla Denisova Liudmyla Leontiivna Denisova (born 6 July 1960) is a Ukrainian politician. After twice serving as Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, Denisova worked as Ombudsman for Human Rights in Ukraine from March 2018 to May 2022. Ukrayinska Pravd ...

, who replaced

Valeriya Lutkovska Valeriya Volodymyrivna Lutkovska (; born 20 January 1972) is a Ukrainian lawyer who was Ombudsman of Ukraine from April 2012 until April 2017. Early life and education Lutkovska was born on 20 January 1972 in Kyiv. In 1993, she graduated fro ...

in 2017.

Committees

The Rada establishes parliamentary committees.Rada approves composition of all committees
''

'' (25 December 2012) On 4 December 2014, parliament formed 27 committees and 2 special control commissions. The previous parliament (2012–2014) had 29 committees and an ''ad hoc'' supervisory board. The sixth session of the Rada (2007–2012) had 28 committees, including the Budget Committee, the Special Control Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on Privatization, and the Committee on Transportation and Communications. There are no permanent or

standing committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

s, though committees from previous convocations may be re-formed. Among the most important is the Budget Committee.

Investigative commissions

PDs may create temporary investigative commissions. Creating such a commission requires one-third of the constitutionally enumerated seats (i.e. 150/450 members). Before a bill for creating such a commission may be schedule for voting, it must be approved by the Committee on Regulations.

Mass media

* ''

Holos Ukrainy () is a Ukrainian daily newspaper published in Kyiv. Laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are published in when they come into force the next day. History and profile is the official voice of Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine), ...

'' * Rada TV

Incidents in parliament

Fights and incidents

Brawls are not unusual in the Rada.2018 WHAT THEY HAVE BUILT

(29 December 2018) On several occasions work in parliament is blocked by

sit-ins A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to ...

by various parties (usually for a couple of days; but in 2008 from 18 January till 6 March and in February 2013 for 17 days).MPs hurt in parliament brawl

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

(17 December 2010) In 2000 and on 4 April 2013 the parliament split into two and held two sessions on two different premises.Ukraine parliament moves building amid opposition blockade
, ''

GlobalPost GlobalPost Media Corporation is an American digital journalism company and former news website that focuses on international news. Founded on January 12, 2009 by Philip S. Balboni and Charles M. Sennott, its stated mission is "to redefine int ...

'' (4 April 2013) A noticeable incident was the disorder of 27 April 2010, after the parliament ratified a treaty that extended the Russian

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

lease in the

n port of

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

until 2042, when

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

Volodymyr Lytvyn Volodymyr Mykhailovych Lytvyn (, ; born April 28, 1956) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician best known for being Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian parliament. Having previously served in that position from 2002 until ...

had to be shielded with umbrellas as he was pelted with

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

, while

smoke bombs A smoke bomb is a Fireworks, firework designed to produce a large amount of smoke upon ignition. History Early Japanese history saw the use of a rudimentary form of the smoke bomb. Explosive, Explosives were common in Japan during the Mongol i ...

exploded and politicians brawled. Another major incident occurred on 16 December 2010 when several Rada members were admitted to hospital after

politicians stormed the parliament podium, which was occupied by the

Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc () was the name of the bloc of political parties in Ukraine led by Yulia Tymoshenko since 2001. In November 2011, the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections was banned.

faction. On 12 December 2012, an all-out scuffle broke out in Parliament, as Batkivshchyna party members attempted to prevent the swearing in of two members who had left the party during the body's first session following the October 2012 election."Fear and loathing in Ukraine's new parliament"

(12 December 2012)
Video of the December 2012 brawl in Parliament
''

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

''
New Ukraine parliament packs punches – literally – in first session

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

(13 December 2012) The same day members of the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda" removed the fence around the Verkhovna Rada that was installed early October 2012. The speaker of the parliament Volodymyr Rybak promised to review the incident of the fence removal. The fence is not accounted as the property of parliament nor the city of

. Rybak noted that the matter might require a review within a special designated committee. From the parliamentary election of 28 October 2012 till the first months of 2013 parliamentary work was virtually paralyzed because the opposition (UDAR, Fatherland, Svoboda, others) blocked the podium and chairman's seat on various days.Ukraine parliament session seized by ruling party

Arizona Daily Sun The ''Arizona Daily Sun'' is a three day newspaper in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is published on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It publishes an entertainment supplement on Thursdays called "Flagstaff Live!". It also publishes a ...

(4 April 2013)
Study: MPs off for 53 days in first hundred days of current parliament

(22 March 2013)
Opposition stops blocking parliament, plenary sitting begins

(19 March 2013)
Opposition blocks speaker's rostrum, puts forward three demands

Ukrinform The National News Agency of Ukraine (), or Ukrinform (), is a state information and news agency, and international broadcaster of Ukraine. It was founded in 1918 during the Ukrainian War of IndependenceOpposition lawmakers block rostrum and presidium of VRU

UNIAN The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News () is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business and financial information, and a photo reporting service. As of October 2022, it was the most v ...

(3 April 2013)

International relations

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; , UIP) is an international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other initiatives include advancing g ...

(

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

) * Parliamentary dimension of the

Central European Initiative The Central European Initiative (CEI) is a forum of regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, counting 17 member states. It was formed in Budapest in 1989. The body was developed on the basis of earlier experiences with The Alps-Adriat ...

(

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

) *

Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE (OSCE PA) is an institution of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The primary task of the 323-member Assembly is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the o ...

(PA OSCE,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

) *

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

(

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

) *

Euronest Parliamentary Assembly The EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary forum in which members of the European Parliament and the national parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia participate and forge closer political and economic ...

(

) *

NATO Parliamentary Assembly The NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It consists of delegates from the parliaments of the 32 NATO member countries as well as from associate ...

(NATO PA,

) * Interparliamentary Assembly of member nations of the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...

(Moscow) * Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community (

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

) *

GUAM Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

Parliamentary Assembly (

) *

Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (, ), or I.A.O., is a transnational, inter-parliamentary institution that in 1994 was originally established as the European Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (EIAO). Based in Athens, Greece, t ...

(

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

) * Parliamentary Assembly of the

Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is a regional international organization focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea ...

(PA BSEC,

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

)

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Ukraine was accepted as a full member of the

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up of ...

(PACE) in 1995. It is represented there by the parliamentary delegation of the Verkhovna Rada consisting of 12 representatives including a chairperson of the delegation, a vice-chairperson and their 12 substitutes; in total, 24 members. The Ukrainian delegation also has its own permanent secretariat of four members that assist in the inter-parliamentary relationships between the PACE and the Verkhovna Rada. For the full list of members, refer to the PACE main website at assembly.coe.int. * 2002–2006 Borys Oliynyk (

CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor, or just processor, is the primary processor in a given computer. Its electronic circuitry executes instructions of a computer program, such as arithmetic, log ...

), Anatoliy Rakhansky ( LB) * 2006–2007 Serhiy Holovaty ( OU),

Hryhoriy Nemyria Hryhoriy Mykhailovych Nemyria (also spelled Nemyrya; ; born 5 April 1960) is a Ukrainian politician, historian, and sociologist, who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European Integration from 2007 to 2010. It is believed that, as ...

(

BYuT The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc () was the name of the bloc of political parties in Ukraine led by Yulia Tymoshenko since 2001. In November 2011, the participation of blocs of political parties in parliamentary elections was banned.

) * 2007–2012 Ivan Popescu ( PR), Olha Herasymiyuk ( OU) * 2012–present Ivan Popescu ( PR), Serhiy Sobolyev ( Ba)

Elections

The parliamentary electoral system has repeatedly changed. Each

convocation A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a specia ...

of the Rada has been elected under different sets of laws which have evolved from the purely majoritarian system of the Soviet era to the purely proportional scheme effective from 2006 until 2010. The next electionEarly to rejoice? Regular parliamentary elections may take place under Yanukovych's law

(11 July 2019) will be held under such a proportional scheme. In the

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

and

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

elections, all 450 MPs were elected in

single-member districts A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...

. Ukraine was therefore divided into 450 electoral districts, each contributing one MP. To win a seat, a candidate needed more than 50% of the votes. If no candidate had 50%, then the two leading candidates participated in a run-off vote. In the

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

elections, 225 MPs were elected in single-member districts as earlier (with the exception that the candidate needed only a simple majority to win). The remaining 225 MPs were elected on a proportional basis. These seats were divided between parties who passed a 4% electoral threshold. Unlike previous elections, the

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

and

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

elections were exclusively proportional; all 450 seats were determined through the proportional electoral system. Seats were divided between parties who passed a 3% electoral threshold. For the 2007 election, the threshold percentage was not changed, but some amendments to the election process were made. In the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

electionsParliament mulls 3 Feb vote to amend Constitution
''

'' (31 January 2011)
Parliament sets parliamentary elections for October 2012, presidential elections for March 2015
''

'' (1 February 2011)
Ukraine sets parliamentary vote for October 2012

(1 February 2011)
Early parliamentary elections may take place in May – Ukraine's Yanukovych
,

RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...

(25 January 2010) a mixed voting system was again used (50% under party lists and 50% under simple-majority

) with a 5%

. Ordinarily, elections would have occurred in 2023. The imposition of

in response to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

has indefinitely postponed elections, as the Ukrainian constitution prohibits holding elections while under martial law. The newest version of the electoral code, which took effect on 1 January 2020, specifies the next election will have no single-member constituencies. Instead, MPs will only be elected on a party list in one nationwide constituency with a 5%

with

open Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * ''Open'' (Gerd Dudek, Buschi Niebergall, and Edward Vesala album), 1979 * ''Open'' (Go ...

regional lists of candidates.Electoral Code becomes effective in Ukraine

(1 January 2010)

2019 election

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{Authority control 1990 establishments in Ukraine Government of Ukraine

Law of Ukraine