How Government works in Ukraine (as of 14.08.2018) 1 Government Structure in Ukraine President of Legislative Executive Judicial Ukraine Branch Branch Branch Verkhovna Cabinet of Courts Rada Ministers 2 The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ukraine has unicameral parliament, its constitutional composition is 450 MPs (known as People's Deputies of Ukraine) who are elected on the basis of general, equal and direct election right by secret ballot for 5 years term. • LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION • REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTION • CONSTITUENT FUNCTION • PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT • BUDGET FUNCTION THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF • FOREIGN POLICY FUNCTION UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT ARE: 3 The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Due to Constitution of Ukraine the Verkhovna Rada has the following powers: • to introduce amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine; • to call the All-Ukrainian referendum; • to adopt laws; • to approve the State Budget of Ukraine and amend it; to supervise the execution of the State Budget and adopt decisions on reporting concerning its execution. • to establish the principles of internal and foreign policy; • to approve national programs for economic, scientific, technical, social, national, and cultural development and protection of the environment; • to call elections for the President of Ukraine; • to declare war, upon the recommendation made by the President of Ukraine, and ensure peace, approve a decision of the President of Ukraine on the use of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations in the event of armed aggression against Ukraine; • to remove the President of Ukraine from the office in accordance with a special procedure (impeachment): (See Article 85 of Constitution of Ukraine) 4 The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Structure 5 The Verkhovna Rada of the VIII convocation began its work on November 27, 2014 following the snap parliamentary election, held under the mixed or parallel voting system. Mixed electoral system: • 50% of seats (225 seats) are elected by (national) proportional party lists with a 5% election threshold. • 50% of the seats are elected in 225 constituencies with a first-past-the-post electoral system in one round. Due to the law “On ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens and legal regime on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine” elections did not take place in 12 Crimean constituencies, 9 constituencies in Donetsk Oblast and 6 constituencies in Luhansk Oblast. THAT IS WHY 27 SEATS OF THE 450 SEATS IN THE PARLIAMENT REMAIN UNFILLED. 6 Today Ukrainian Parliament is composed of 423 MPs (as of 14.08.2018) 7 Deputy Factions and Groups Ukrainian MPs form deputy factions and groups: currently there are six factions and deputy groups in the Parliament. Deputy Faction Deputy Group A deputy faction is an association of MPs, A deputy group is an association of unaffiliated that may include: MPs (ones that haven`t joined any factions) • MPs elected on party electoral list; that share certain common or similar views on public and socio-economic development. • MPs nominated by a political party in the single-member districts; • MPs that registered as the candidates at Number of MPs in the deputy group shall not elections through self-promotion ; be less than the number of MPs in the smallest faction, formed during the first session. • MPs nominated by other political party that hasn`t participated in the mandates distribution due to the election results. Registered deputy group has the same rights, that deputy faction do. A political party has the right to form only one deputy faction. 8 Deputy Factions and Groups In accordance with Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered deputy group (faction) obtains the right to: • proportional (based on the number of members) representation in all bodies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and official parliamentary delegations; • a speech for its representative on all issues of the agenda at a plenary sitting; • parliamentary group (faction) that initiated the issue under the consideration has the right to its representative`s speech after the termination of discussions during the sitting of the Parliament and its bodies. As a member of the deputy faction (group) MP has the right: • to elect and be elected to the governing bodies of the deputy faction (group); • to participate in approving the Regulation on the deputy faction (group); • to propose issues to faction`s (group`s) consideration; • to submit proposals to the matters being discussed at a deputy faction`s (group`s) meeting, participate in discussion 9 Deputy Factions and Groups: MPs Faction|Group name MPs Faction|Group name Faction of the PARTY Faction of the Political party the All- 135 “PETRO POROSHENKO BLOC” 20 Ukrainian Union “Batkivshchyna” Faction of the Political party Group “People’s Will” 81 “PEOPLE’S FRONT” 19 Faction of the Political party Group “The Party “Revival” 43 “Opposition Bloc” 24 Faction of the Political party Non-affiliated MPs 25 “SAMOPOMICH” Union” 55 Faction of Oleh Liashko 21 Radical Party 31,9% 19,1% 10,2% 5,9% 5% 4,7% 4,5% 5,7% 13% 10 (as of 14.08.2018) Gender Faction of the PARTY “PETRO POROSHENKO BLOC” 12.32% 423 Faction of the Political party MPs “PEOPLE’S FRONT” 13.58% Faction of the Political party “Opposition Bloc” 6,98% 371 Faction of the Political party Male MPs “SAMOPOMICH” Union” 28% Faction of Oleh Liashko Radical Party 19.05% 52 Faction of the Political party the All- Female MPs Ukrainian Union “Batkivshchyna” 20% Group “People’s Will” 0% Group “The Party ”Revival” 0% Non-affiliated People's Deputies 13.46% 11 MPs` Aides Due to the Law of Ukraine “About the status of the People's Deputy of Ukraine” an MP can have up to thirty-one aides. Only a citizen of Ukraine, which has vocational or higher education and fluent in the state language can become an MP’s aide. MPs` aides work on fixed-term contracts on a regular basis or part-time or as volunteers. An MP has a special fund allocated for aides remuneration. Due to the Law on the Civil Service (that has come into force on May 1, 2016) MPs` aides have lost the status of civil servants. 12 The Leaders of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroid Iryna Herashchenko Deputy Chairperson of the First Deputy Chairperson of Verkhovna Rada Andrii Parubii the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Chairperson of of Ukraine (Non-afiliated MP, became (Non-afiliated MP, became the MP MP as the member of Political The Verkhovna Rada as the member of Party “Petro party “Samopomich” Union” list) of Ukraine Poroshenko Bloc” list) (Non-affiliated MP, became MP as the member of Political party “People’s Front” list) 13 The Coalition Due to the election results and on the basis of agreed political positions deputy factions form the coalition, which includes the majority of MPs of Ukraine – no less than 226 MPs. 226 CONSTITUTION OF UKRAINE Article 90. The President of Ukraine shall have the right to an early termination of powers of the Verkhovna Rada in the following cases: the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine fails to form a coalition of deputy factions in compliance with Article 83 of this Constitution within one month “European Ukraine” On November 27, 2014 factions of the Party “Petro Poroshenko Bloc”, the Political party “People’s Front”, the Political party “Samopomich” Union”, Oleh Liashko Radical Party and the All-Ukrainian Union “Batkivshchyna” signed a coalition agreement. A coalition of 302 MPs named “European Ukraine” has been established. 14 The Coalition Crisis Over the next almost two years factions of the parties “Batkivshchyna”, “Samopomich” Union” and Oleh Liashko Radical Party have left the coalition. Currently, the exact number of MPs in coalition is not known. On April 18, 2016 Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy announced, that he possesses the information on the number of MPs in the coalition “European Ukraine” (230 MPs). But until now this information is not available to public. Due to the statement of the civil network “OPORA” at the moment the coalition “European Ukraine”includes: • Faction of the Party “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” • Faction of the Political party “People’s Front” • Individual deputies who had been previously excluded from the coalition factions, but did not withdrew their signatures from the coalition agreement 15 The Coalition “European Ukraine” in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the VIII convocation * Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko Petro Poroshenko Bloc Bloc Bloc Bloc Bloc People’s Front People’s Front People’s Front People’s Front People’s Front Samopomich Samopomich Oleh Liashko Radical Party Oleh Liashko Oleh Liashko Radical Party Radical Party Batkivshchyna * Due to the statement of the Verkhovna Rada Chairperson – Andrii Parubii 16 The Opposition • Definition and status of opposition in Ukrainian Parliament are still not legally regulated (opposition`s existence is not normalized by Constitution). That is why factions and groups can be defined as oppositional ones either on the basis of their public statements and rhetoric or due to the facts, whether they`ve joined coalition or not. Because of this, a situation can take place when factions compete for the right to be considered the opposition. The opposition in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the VIII convocation • The faction of the Political party “Opposition Bloc” haven’t joined the coalition agreement and on November 27, 2014 declared itself in opposition to the coalition. • The group “People’s Will” haven`t joined coalition, but it also doesn`t identify itself with opposition and other opposition parties. On July 9, 2015 its head (at the time) Ihor Yeremeyev declared the group to be a “constructive opposition”. • The group “The Party"Revival” (established in June 2015) haven`t joined the coalition and on March 16, 2015 declared its opposition activity.