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| Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada | |
|---|---|
| Name | Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine |
| Native name | Верховна Рада України |
| Legislature | 9th convocation |
| House type | Unicameral |
| Established | 1991 |
| Preceded by | Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR |
| Leader1 type | Chairman |
| Leader1 | Ruslan Stefanchuk |
| Party1 | Servant of the People |
| Members | 450 (historical), 424 (current) |
| Last election | 21 July 2019 |
| Meeting place | Verkhovna Rada building, Kyiv |
| Website | rada.gov.ua |
Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada is the unicameral parliament of Ukraine, serving as the supreme legislative authority since independence in 1991; it evolved from the Soviet-era Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR and operates within the constitutional framework established by the Constitution of Ukraine of 1996. The body enacts laws, ratifies treaties, approves budgets, and oversees executive appointments while interacting with entities such as the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
The institution traces its roots to the Central Executive Committee of the Ukrainian SSR and the All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets before transformation into the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR during the Soviet Union era; the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum and the proclamation of independence led to its reconstitution as the national legislature of Ukraine. Major milestones include adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, the 1996 promulgation of the Constitution of Ukraine, the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests that precipitated the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Sessions have been affected by conflict events such as the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the War in Donbas. Constitutional crises involving figures like Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, Viktor Yanukovych, and Petro Poroshenko shaped procedural reforms, while legislative responses to international agreements like the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine and institutions such as the Council of Europe and NATO influenced parliamentary work.
Membership historically totaled 450 deputies, originating from the Soviet model; under post-1998 practice deputies are elected through a mixed system combining single-member constituencies and party-list proportional representation, though specifics changed following the 2011 and 2014 electoral reforms and the 2019 switch toward closed-list proportional voting for 424 seats. Elections are administered by the Central Election Commission of Ukraine and regulated by laws including the Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies. Political parties such as Servant of the People, European Solidarity, Batkivshchyna, Opposition Platform — For Life, and blocs like Our Ukraine have played central roles. Notable electoral events include the 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2014, and 2019 parliamentary elections, with international observation by the OSCE ODIHR and organizations like The Carter Center.
The Rada enacts legislation under the Constitution of Ukraine and exercises authority over state policy, budget approval, declaration of martial law, and ratification of international treaties such as accords with the European Union and bilateral instruments with United States, Poland, Germany, and Turkey. It appoints the Prime Minister of Ukraine upon presidential nomination, confirms members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and can dismiss the cabinet via votes of no confidence. The chamber installs senior officials including the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine (subject to executive concurrence), and endorses judicial appointments to courts including the Supreme Court of Ukraine while interacting with the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on constitutional review. The Rada also exercises amnesty, declares states of emergency, and oversees armed forces matters in liaison with the Minister of Defence (Ukraine) and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Leadership comprises the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, multiple deputy chairmen, a presidium, and a secretariat; party groupings form parliamentary factions and deputies sit in convocations corresponding to legislative terms. Plenary sittings occur in the historic Verkhovna Rada building in Kyiv, with rules of procedure derived from the chamber’s regulations and the Constitution of Ukraine. Voting modalities include roll-call votes, open ballots, and electronic systems; exceptions involve secret ballots for impeachments and certain appointments. Interaction with state agencies is mediated via written inquiries, interpellations, parliamentary hearings, and confirmation hearings for nominees to positions including ambassadors accredited to states like United States, United Kingdom, and France.
Bills originate from deputies, factions, the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and citizens via initiatives where applicable; draft laws progress through committee consideration, first reading, second reading, and third reading before promulgation. High-profile legislation has covered topics such as decentralization reform influenced by models from Germany, Poland, and France, anti-corruption laws linked to institutions like the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and lustration measures post-2014. Ratification of international treaties, budget adoption including state budget laws, and constitutional amendments—requiring supermajorities and coordination with bodies like the Constitutional Court of Ukraine—are core functions.
Permanent and temporary committees—such as the Committee on Budget, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on National Security, Committee on Justice, Committee on Health Care, Committee on Rules, and Committee on Human Rights—examine legislation and exercise oversight. Deputies align in factions representing parties like Servant of the People, European Solidarity, Batkivshchyna, and parliamentary groups including cross-party coalitions formed during government formation. Prominent committee chairs have included figures such as Iryna Herashchenko, Dmytro Razumkov, and Andriy Parubiy in earlier convocations.
The Rada’s constitutional balance entails interaction and sometimes tension with the President of Ukraine—illustrated during confrontations in the Orange Revolution and Euromaidan—the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine over policy and appointments, and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on legality of laws. It coordinates with independent agencies like the National Bank of Ukraine, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, and law enforcement entities such as the Security Service of Ukraine and National Police of Ukraine. Internationally, the Rada engages with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Inter-Parliamentary Union, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and bilateral parliaments including the United States Congress, the Bundestag, and the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
Category:Politics of Ukraine