Misplaced Pages

#427572

75-709: On 20 February 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko changed the status of the ATO zone from an anti-terrorist operation to "taking measures to ensure national security and defense, and repulsing and deterring the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts". This allowed the Ukrainian military to take charge of the zones instead of the Ukrainian secret service SBU . As such,

150-487: A semi-presidential system in which the roles of the head of state and head of government are separate, thus the president of Ukraine is not the nation's head of government. The prime minister serves as the head of government, a role currently filled by Denys Shmyhal who took office in March 2020. The current president is Volodymyr Zelenskyy , who took the oath of office on 20 May 2019. Due to martial law , elections in

225-578: A Socialist premier. But while the president's term of office was for seven years, the National Assembly only served for five. When, in the 1986 legislative election , the French people elected a right-of-centre assembly, Socialist president François Mitterrand was forced into cohabitation with right-wing premier Jacques Chirac . However, in 2000, amendments to the French constitution reduced

300-456: A coup and that the impeachment process has not been properly carried out. On 3 October 2014, a Ukrainian official said that Viktor Yanukovych and other former top officials have obtained Russian citizenship in a "secret decree" signed by Vladimir Putin. If this actually turned out to be true, it would suggest that Yanukovich had given up his claims for presidency as Ukrainian law does not allow for dual citizenship. The modern Ukrainian presidency

375-507: A minimum two-thirds of the parliament (300 members) must support the impeachment procedure. To remove the president from office, a minimum three-quarters of parliament (338 members) must support the resolution. The Constitutional and the Supreme Court of Ukraine 's conclusions and decisions are considered at the parliamentary meetings. In the event that a president dies in office or is incapable of committing their duties as president,

450-469: A nomination deposit of 2,500,000 hryvnias (approx. 90,000 US Dollars) which is refunded only to those candidates that progress to the second round of voting. The last presidential elections took place on 21 April 2019. According to Article 104 of the Constitution, the president of Ukraine assumes office no later than in thirty days after the official announcement of the election results, from

525-507: A political compromise. A snap election was held in 1994 , which was won by Ukraine's former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma . Kuchma was re-elected for a second term of office in 1999 . The 2004 election was marked by controversy with allegations of electoral fraud in the conduct of the second round runoff ballot between opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko and the government-backed candidate and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. After mass nationwide protests, colloquially known as

600-471: A result of this election Yanukovych was elected the fourth modern president of Ukraine. After Yanukovych was removed from power in early 2014 as a result of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity , the chairperson of parliament Oleksandr Turchynov was appointed to the role of acting president by the Verkhovna Rada in accordance with article 112 of the Constitution of Ukraine. Oleksandr Turchynov served as

675-440: A whole in international affairs. The president has the authority to conduct negotiations and sign treaties on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The right to recognize foreign nations rests solely with the president. The president may appoint and dismiss heads of diplomatic missions of Ukraine to other states and to international organisations and accept the recall of diplomatic representatives to Ukraine of foreign states. Although

750-423: Is a republic in which a president exists alongside a prime minister and a cabinet , with the latter two being responsible to the legislature of the state . It differs from a parliamentary republic in that it has an executive president independent of the legislature ; and from the presidential system in that the cabinet , although named by the president, is responsible to the legislature, which may force

825-466: Is called " cohabitation ", a term which originated in France after the situation first arose in the 1980s. Cohabitation can create either an effective system of checks and balances , or a period of bitter and tense stonewalling, depending on the attitudes of the two leaders, the ideologies of themselves/their parties, and the demands of their supporters. The distribution of power between the president and

SECTION 10

#1732802176428

900-593: Is colloquially known as "Bankova", because it is located on Bankova Street in a massive building across from the House with Chimaeras. The head of the office, the Chief Secretary, acts as the gray cardinal for the president in Ukrainian politics. Around fourteen state residences are allocated for official presidential use, many of which remain from the Kuchma-era presidency. The official ceremonial residence

975-457: Is conditionally divided into five sectors A, B, C, D, and M. Since 28 December 2015, the song "Brattia Ukraintsi" (Brothers Ukrainians) is the official anthem of ATO. 48°38′N 37°20′E  /  48.63°N 37.33°E  / 48.63; 37.33 Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Президент України , romanized:  Prezydent Ukrainy , pronounced [prezeˈdɛnt ʊkrɐˈjine] )

1050-747: Is offered by the State Department of Affairs (abbreviated as DUS) that is created for state officials and subordinated to the president of Ukraine. DUS is a supporting state agency that was restructured in 2000 out of the Presidential Directory of Affairs. Primarily the agency is designated for the president and its administration, while also provides support for the Cabinet of Ministers, parliament, and other state agencies if budget permits. Semi-presidential republic A semi-presidential republic , or dual executive republic ,

1125-918: Is the Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv. Other state residences include the House with Chimaeras and the House of the Weeping Widow in Kyiv, the Yusupov Palace in Crimea , and Synehora in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast . In addition, each former president has been allotted a state-owned dacha (house) in the former forest preserve in Koncha-Zaspa . A lot of additional material-technical, social-communal, health care provision support

1200-522: Is the Mariinskyi Palace , located in the Pechersk district of the capital Kyiv . Other official residences include the House with Chimaeras and the House of the Weeping Widow , which are used for official visits by foreign representatives. The Office of the President of Ukraine , unofficially known as "Bankova" in reference to the street it is located on, serves as the presidential office, advising

1275-450: 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. The president is directly elected by the citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term of office (whether the presidential election is early or scheduled), limited to two terms consecutively. The president's official residence

1350-458: Is the head of state while the prime minister is the head of government with the current prime minister being Denys Shmyhal . Ukraine is somewhat unusual in that while many countries use a similar system typically the role of one leader is relegated to being ceremonial, in Ukraine however both the prime minister and the president have great power and responsibility assigned to their roles. Because

1425-578: Is used in: Guinea-Bissau , Mozambique , Russia , and Taiwan . It was also used in Ukraine (first between 1996 and 2005; then from 2010 to 2014), Georgia (from 2004 to 2013), South Korea under the Fourth and Fifth republics, and in Germany during the Weimar Republic . In a semi-presidential system, the president and the prime minister may sometimes be from different political parties. This

1500-625: The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada becomes the acting president until a new president is elected. The acting president is not given the authority to address the nation and parliament, dismiss the legislative branch and appoint candidates for parliamentary approval of government and judicial posts. The acting president cannot call for a referendum, grant military ranks and state orders and exercise their right of pardon. There are no constitutional provisions for presidential succession in case both

1575-498: The Constitution , Poland is a parliamentary republic ), Portugal , Romania , São Tomé and Príncipe , Sri Lanka , Turkey ( de facto between 2014 and 2018, until the constitutional amendment to switch the government to presidential from parliamentary ), and Ukraine (since 2014; previously, between 2006 and 2010). Under the president-parliamentary system, the prime minister and cabinet are dually accountable to

SECTION 20

#1732802176428

1650-603: The French Fifth Republic (established in 1958). Maurice Duverger 's original definition of semi-presidentialism stated that the president had to be elected, possess significant power, and serve for a fixed term. Modern definitions merely declare that the head of state has to be elected, and that a separate prime minister that is dependent on parliamentary confidence has to lead the legislative. There are two distinct subtypes of semi-presidentialism: premier-presidentialism and president-parliamentarism. Under

1725-770: The Security Service of Ukraine with the Verkhovna Rada's consent. One-half of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine and the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting is reserved for the president to select. In addition to serving as the head of state, the president is the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Article 106, paragraph 17) and the Head of

1800-819: The Soviet offensive in 1920 brought control of the Ukrainian territory under the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic , the Ukrainian People's Republic was forced into exile. Upon the assassination of Petliura, the control over the state affairs were transferred to the former Prime Minister Andriy Livytskyi who in 1948 created the office of the president of Ukraine. Livytskyi served as the first president (in exile) until January 1954. Stepan Vytvytskyi served after Livytskyi from January 1954 until his death on 9 October 1965. Following Vytvytskyi's death, Ivan Bahrianyi temporarily carried out

1875-552: The Verkhovna Rada (parliament), and nominates candidates for the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of defence in the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers . Six out of eighteen of the Constitutional Court judges are appointed by the president. Decisions of the president are subject to review by Ukraine's courts with the Constitutional Court having the sole authority and power to declare decrees of

1950-523: The premier-presidential system, the prime minister and cabinet are exclusively accountable to parliament. The president may choose the prime minister and cabinet, but only the parliament may approve them and remove them from office with a vote of no confidence . This system is much closer to pure parliamentarism. This subtype is used in: Burkina Faso , Cape Verde , East Timor , France , Lithuania , Madagascar , Mali , Mongolia , Niger , Georgia (2013–2018), Poland ( de facto , however, according to

2025-407: The prime minister and the president is not explicitly stated in the constitution, but has evolved as a political convention based on the constitutional principle that the prime minister is appointed (with the subsequent approval of a parliament majority) and dismissed by the president. On the other hand, whenever the president and the prime minister represent the same political party, which leads

2100-486: The " Orange Revolution ", a new election was held on 26 December 2004 in which Yushchenko was declared the winner with 52% of the vote and was subsequently sworn into office on 23 January 2005. Yanukovych again served as Prime Minister. The 2010 election took place on 17 January, with a run-off on 7 February due to a 13 May Constitutional Court ruling striking down 25 October date that the parliament called in April 2009. As

2175-523: The ATO was renamed to JFO zone ( Joint Forces Operation ( Ukrainian : Операція об'єднаних сил, ООС , romanized :  Operatsiya ob'yednanykh syl ). Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine , out-of-service ATO veterans have repeatedly been the target of Russian forces, for example of the Redut PMC . According to captured fighters, with this they wanted to decrease the risk of them joining

2250-676: The Central Rada was arrested and liquidated during a coup d'état initiated by the local German administration to install Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi who barely spoke a word of the Ukrainian language . In November of the same year the directorate government of the UPR was established as the opposition movement to the Skoropadsky's regime. The Ukrainian People's Republic was soon re-established in December 1918 with Volodymyr Vynnychenko as

2325-483: The Constitution and human rights and freedoms. As stated in Article 106 , the president ensures state independence, national security and the legal succession of the state, also serving as supreme commander-in-chief of the military. Unlike in other semi-presidential systems of government, the president of Ukraine does not belong to the executive branch of government. The Prime Minister is Ukraine's head of government. Thus,

Joint Forces Operation (Ukraine) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-599: The Constitution, offending the honour and dignity of the president is punishable by law, although no such law has yet been enacted. The president's personal security is provided by the Directory of State Security of Ukraine and a separate presidential regiment provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs . For their services to the state, the president is allotted a yearly gross salary of ₴ 28,000/mo or 336,000/yr ( $ 13,500/yr, 2016). All official and state visits made by

2475-478: The Council of Ministers of Crimea that are deemed to contradict the Ukrainian Constitution and can provide the presidential consent on a nominee for Prime Minister of Crimea . The Constitution of Ukraine states that the title of President of Ukraine is preserved by law for the lifetime of the holder, if the president is not removed from the post by impeachment proceedings. In order to impeach

2550-556: The Directorate's chairperson, serving as the republic's de facto second "president" from 19 December 1918 to 10 February 1919. Although really the Directorate was the temporary governing body until the new Ukrainian Constituent Assembly would elect its president. Symon Petliura assumed the representation of the state after Vynnychenko's resignation on 11 February 1919 and until Petlyura's assassination in Paris on 25 May 1926. After

2625-542: The National Security and Defence Council, which advises the president regarding national security policy on domestic and international matters. The president can submit a declaration of war to the parliament and order the use of the Ukrainian Army and military formations in defence of aggression. Martial law can also be declared on the territory of Ukraine if state independence is deemed in danger. With

2700-599: The Soviet Union, the office's official title was changed to "President of Ukraine" on 24 August. In the current Constitution, the Ukrainian presidency is defined in Chapter V , Articles 102–112. So far, seven presidential elections have been conducted. The first election in 1991 was held at the same time as Ukrainians voted to support the Declaration of Independence in the independence referendum . Leonid Kravchuk

2775-459: The UPR proclaimed its independence from Russia . On 29 April 1918, the Rada elected Mykhailo Hrushevsky as the first president of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian People's Republic, in effect making him the de facto leader of the republic. Although a rather widespread misconception, the state leadership position title varied and none of them had an official "presidential" title. On 29 April 1918

2850-514: The acting president from 23 February until 7 June 2014 and was the only person in Ukrainian history to serve in the role. The acting president of Ukraine lacks many of the executive powers of a president and is only meant to serve for a short time before a new election can take place. During his tenure Oleksandr Turchynov was addressed as "acting president" by other Ukrainian politicians and the media. The 2014 election took place on 25 May, with entrepreneur Petro Poroshenko winning over 54 percent of

2925-408: The cabinet to resign through a motion of no confidence . While the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and Finland (from 1919 to 2000) exemplified early semi-presidential systems, the term "semi-presidential" was first introduced in 1959 in an article by journalist Hubert Beuve-Méry , and popularized by a 1978 work written by political scientist Maurice Duverger , both of whom intended to describe

3000-430: The cabinet, they tend to exercise de facto control over all fields of policy via the prime minister. However, it is up to the president to decide how much autonomy is left to said prime minister. In most cases, cohabitation results from a system in which the two executives are not elected at the same time or for the same term. For example, in 1981, France elected both a Socialist president and legislature, which yielded

3075-550: The confirmation of the Verkhovna Rada, a state of emergency or zones of ecological emergency can also be adopted by the president. Unconditional pardon is reserved exclusively for the president; however, this right cannot be exercised by an acting president. The president can also confer citizens with state orders such as the Hero of Ukraine or confer high military, diplomatic and other ranks and class orders. Citizenship and political asylum in Ukraine can be granted and revoked by

Joint Forces Operation (Ukraine) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-438: The confusion produced by mixed authority patterns. It can be argued that a semi-presidential republic is more likely to engage in democratic backsliding and power struggles , especially ones with a president-parliamentary system. Advantages Disadvantages In a premier-presidential system, the prime minister and cabinet are exclusively accountable to the legislature. Non-UN members or observers are in italics. In

3225-446: The country for the past 10 years and has full command of the Ukrainian state language . Per the Constitution, regular presidential elections are scheduled to be held on the last Sunday of the last month of the fifth year of the incumbent president's term. If the president's authority has ended pre-term, then the elections must be held within 90 days of the incumbent president's end of term. Candidates seeking election are required to pay

3300-570: The country have been suspended. The president is also the supreme commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces , and heads the National Security and Defence Council , which advises the president, co-ordinates and controls executive power in the sphere of national security and defence. According to the Constitution of Ukraine , the president is the guarantor of the state's sovereignty , territorial indivisibility,

3375-460: The defence of Ukraine. For this purpose, veterans were interrogated and tortured in order to find more, after which many were killed. Two Redut PMC fighters were convicted for committing such war crimes. The official borders of the ATO zone were defined with a list of localities and their geographical coordinates, approved in November 2014 by Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada . The zone

3450-531: The interests of all compatriots, and to enhance the prestige of Ukraine in the world. After conducting the oath, the president signs the text of the oath of office and transfers it over to the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court. According to Article 102 of the Constitution, the president is the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial indivisibility of Ukraine, the observer of

3525-491: The latter being replaced by acting president Oleksandr Turchynov , who then also served as Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament , on 21 February 2014. Oleksandr Turchynov was the only acting president in Ukraine's modern history. The powers of an acting president are severely limited. On 18 June 2015, Yanukovych was officially deprived of the title of president of Ukraine. The Government of Ukraine utilizes

3600-418: The legislative branch of government compared to other European heads of state. They may disband the parliament and call for early elections. This power has only been used twice to date, first by president Viktor Yushchenko in 2007 , and by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 . The legislative branches' check on the president includes the right to overturn a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote of

3675-410: The length of the French president's term to five years. This has significantly lowered the chances of cohabitation occurring, as parliamentary and presidential elections may now be conducted within a shorter span of each other. The incorporation of elements from both presidential and parliamentary republics can bring certain advantageous elements; however, it also creates disadvantages, often related to

3750-441: The moment of taking the oath to the people at a ceremonial meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. If the president is elected following special elections in the event of the previous president's resignation, impeachment or death, the president-elect must take oath of office within five days after the publication of the official election results. The Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine administers

3825-437: The newly elected Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk at his inauguration ceremony. In his declaration, it is stated that the current Ukrainian state is the legal successor following the state traditions of the Ukrainian People's Republic, establishing the continuity of the republic. Viktor Yanukovych has claimed to be the legitimate president of Ukraine stating that the events of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution amounted to

SECTION 50

#1732802176428

3900-816: The oath of office. The president-elect recites the Ukrainian oath of office with their hand on the Constitution and the Peresopnytsia Gospels : The Ukrainian text of the oath according to the article 104 is: Я, (ім'я та прізвище), волею народу обраний Президентом України, заступаючи на цей високий пост, урочисто присягаю на вірність Україні. Зобов'язуюсь усіма своїми справами боронити суверенітет і незалежність України, дбати про благо Вітчизни і добробут Українського народу, обстоювати права і свободи громадян, додержуватися Конституції України і законів України, виконувати свої обов'язки в інтересах усіх співвітчизників, підносити авторитет України у світі. Official English translation: I, (name and surname), elected by

3975-422: The observance of the Constitution of Ukraine and human and citizens' rights and freedoms. As with the separation of powers , the president has checks on the authority of parliament and the judicial system. For instance, any law passed by the parliament can be vetoed by the president; however, parliament can override their veto with a 2/3 constitutional majority vote. The president has limited authority to disband

4050-495: The parliament. The president can suspend acts passed by the Cabinet of Ministers if they contradict the intent of the Constitution and challenge such acts with the Constitutional Court, one-third of which can be appointed (and dismissed) by the president. Ukrainian law also allows the president to establish new jurisdictional districts and courts. In addition, the president can select the Prosecutor General and Head of

4125-463: The power to submit a proposal for the nomination of the Prime Minister; the Verkhovna Rada, through a constitutional majority, has to support the candidacy. Laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada have to be signed by the president to become officially promulgated . The president also has the authority to create consultative, advisory and other subordinate government bodies for their authority with

4200-473: The president and chairperson's posts are vacant. An election as President of Ukraine garners many privileges of office to an individual. Full legal immunity is granted from all prosecutions and legal proceedings, excluding parliament's right to impeach the president during their tenure. The title of President of Ukraine itself is protected by law and is reserved for the president for life, unless they have been impeached from office. According to Article 105 of

4275-420: The president and to the parliament. The president chooses the prime minister and the cabinet, but must have the support of a parliamentary majority for his choice. In order to remove a prime minister, or the whole cabinet, from power, the president can either dismiss them, or the parliament can remove them through a vote of no confidence . This form of semi-presidentialism is much closer to pure presidentialism. It

4350-606: The president are operated by the Ukraine Air Enterprise presidential airplanes. All required aviation transportation is provided by the State Aviation Company "Ukraina" (Ukraine Air Enterprise), the headquarters of which is located in Boryspil . The Office of the President of Ukraine is an administrative body set up to provide analytical, advisory and legal assistance to the president. It

4425-462: The president does not head the executive branch of government, he has the right to nominate their candidates for Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine . As per the checks and balances system of Ukrainian government, the president can veto laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (except constitutional amendments). The president wields high power in

4500-437: The president in the domestic, foreign and legal matters. Since the office's establishment on 5 December 1991, there have been six presidents of Ukraine. Leonid Kravchuk was the inaugural president, serving three years from 1991 until his resignation in 1994. Leonid Kuchma was the only president to have served two consecutive terms in office. Viktor Yushchenko , Petro Poroshenko , and Viktor Yanukovych served one term, with

4575-496: The president of Ukraine and as regulated by law. The president of Ukraine appoints heads of regional state administrations ( oblderzhadministratsia ) after a nomination by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, presidential representatives to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , Verkhovna Rada, and others. The president does not act as an ex officio head of state of Crimea. The president can revoke any laws passed by

SECTION 60

#1732802176428

4650-431: The president of Ukraine must approve the appointment of the prime minister, the post of president is generally thought of as the more powerful role. The Ukrainian president is elected by direct popular vote by Ukrainian citizens who are 18 years and over. The president is elected for a 5-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively. Ukraine's electoral law provides for a two-round electoral system to elect

4725-423: The president serves to represent the country and government as a whole, and not any specific branch of government. The president is obliged by the Constitution to prevent any actions of the executive, legislative and judicial branches from taking effect and interfering with the powers of the Constitution. In addition, the president is barred by the Constitution from heading a political party . The president has

4800-439: The president unconstitutional. While in office, the president enjoys the right of immunity . Ukrainian presidents are frequently asked by individual citizens for help in solving their personal problems (sometimes successfully); in 2012, (then) president Yanukovych received about 10,000 to 12,000 letters from people every month. Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office

4875-407: The president, they must be suspected of treason to the state or other crimes. A majority in the Verkhovna Rada (226 ayes) must support a procedure of impeachment for it to begin. A temporary investigative commission is established by the parliament for the impeachment investigation . The commission's final conclusions are considered at a parliamentary meeting. To adopt an impeachment resolution,

4950-422: The president; a candidate must win an absolute majority of all votes cast. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round of voting then the two highest polling candidates contest a run-off second ballot. According to Chapter V, Article 103 of the Constitution, to be elected president a candidate must be a Ukrainian citizen who has attained the age of 35, has the right to vote, and has resided in

5025-416: The presidential authority until the third president-in-exile Mykola Livytskyi (son of the first president-in-exile) was sworn into office. Livytskyi served from 1967 until his death in December 1989. Mykola Plaviuk was the last president-in-exile (and the fourth), serving from December 1989 until his resignation on 22 August 1992 when he ceremonially gave in his presidential authority and state symbols to

5100-399: The prime minister can vary greatly between countries. In France , for example, in the case of cohabitation, the president oversees foreign policy and defense policy (these are generally called les prérogatives présidentielles , presidential prerogatives) and the prime minister is in charge of domestic policy and economic policy . In this case, the division of responsibilities between

5175-430: The sixth President of Ukraine, scoring a record 73.22% of the popular vote in the run-off against incumbent Poroshenko. Due to martial law in the country as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , elections in the country have been suspended, and the next election originally scheduled for 2024 has been postponed. The Government of Ukraine is based on a semi-presidential system . The president of Ukraine

5250-424: The use of the state budget. The president may address the nation and the Verkhovna Rada with their annual and special addresses on domestic and foreign issues of Ukraine. They may also call for the conduction of national referendums. The president appoints the heads of local state administrations nominated by the Prime Minister for the period of their presidency. The president represents the country and government as

5325-419: The vote; Yulia Tymoshenko was the runner up with around 13 percent. Poroshenko was sworn in as president on 7 June 2014. On 18 June 2015 Yanukovych was officially deprived of the title of President of Ukraine. The 2019 election took place on 31 March, with a run-off on 21 April. As a result of this election, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , a former actor and comedian with no prior political experience, became

5400-489: The will of the people as the President of Ukraine, assuming this high office, do solemnly swear allegiance to Ukraine. I pledge with all my undertakings to protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, to provide for the good of the Motherland and the welfare of the Ukrainian people, to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, to abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, to exercise my duties in

5475-466: Was elected Ukraine's first president on 1 December 1991. He was elected by a record number of voters with over 19.5 million who wanted him to remain as the leader of the state. That number has not been beaten yet. His major opponents were the leader of Rukh Vyacheslav Chornovil and the author of the Declaration of Independence. President Kravchuk remained in office until he resigned as part of

5550-594: Was established on 5 July 1991 by the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic , which formed the office of "president of the Ukrainian SSR" ( Ukrainian : Президент Української РСР ). During the transitional period until the presidential elections , the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada (then held by Leonid Kravchuk) was empowered with a presidential authority. With the proclamation of Ukrainian independence from

5625-612: Was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi . At first, the de facto leader of the nation was the president of the Central Rada in the early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic , while the highest governing body was the General Secretariat headed by its chairperson. With the proclamation of the last universal of the UPR dated 25 January 1918 due to military aggression, the Central Rada of

#427572