President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine Biography National Symbols The History of Presidency

Presidential Secretariat

Presidential Secretariat News Announces

Security Council

Security Council

President's Reception Office

President's Reception Office

President's Press Office

President's Press Office Accreditation

President's wife

President's wife News Activities Speeches Interviews Photo gallery

NEWS

CATEGORIES: Current events President's Schedule SPEECHES: Speeches Records PUBLICATIONS: Interviews Articles Media about President News archive

President's Schedule

Photo gallery

Virtual tour

Services

Search Email subscription RSS

HomePresident of UkraineConstitution of Ukraine

Constitution of Ukraine - Chapter IV

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Article 75. The sole body of legislative power in Ukraine is the Parliament - the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 76. The constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine consists of 450 National Deputies of Ukraine who are elected for a four-year term on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage, by secret ballot.
A citizen of Ukraine who has attained the age of twenty-one on the day of elections, has the right to vote, and has resided on the territory of Ukraine for the past five years, may be a National Deputy of Ukraine.
A citizen who has a criminal record for committing an intentional crime shall not be elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine if the record is not cancelled and erased by the procedure established by law.
The authority of National Deputies of Ukraine is determined by the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine.

Article 77. Regular elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine take place on the last Sunday of March of the fourth year of the term of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Special elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are designated by the President of Ukraine and are held within sixty days from the day of the publication of the decision on the pre-term termination of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The procedure for conducting elections of National Deputies of Ukraine is established by law.

Article 78. National Deputies of Ukraine exercise their authority on a permanent basis.
National Deputies of Ukraine shall not have another representative mandate or be in the civil service.
Requirements concerning the incompatibility of the mandate of the deputy with other types of activity are established by law.

Article 79. Before assuming office, National Deputies of Ukraine take the following oath before the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine:
"I swear allegiance to Ukraine. I commit myself with all my deeds to protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, to provide for the good of the Motherland and for the welfare of the Ukrainian people. I swear to abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, to carry out my duties in the interests of all compatriots."
The oath is read by the eldest National Deputy of Ukraine before the opening of the first session of the newly-elected Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, after which the deputies affirm the oath with their signatures below its text.
The refusal to take the oath results in the loss of the mandate of the deputy.
The authority of National Deputies of Ukraine commences from the moment of the taking of the oath.

Article 80. National Deputies of Ukraine are guaranteed parliamentary immunity.
National Deputies of Ukraine are not legally liable for the results of voting or for statements made in Parliament and in its bodies, with the exception of liability for insult or defamation.
National Deputies of Ukraine shall not be held criminally liable, detained or arrested without the consent of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 81. The authority of National Deputies of Ukraine terminates simultaneously with the termination of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The authority of a National Deputy of Ukraine terminates prior to the expiration of the term in the event of:
1) his or her resignation through a personal statement;
2) a guilty verdict against him or her entering into legal force;
3) a court declaring him or her incompetent or missing;
4) termination of his or her citizenship or his or her departure from Ukraine for permanent residence abroad;
5) his or her death.
The decision about the pre-term termination of authority of a National Deputy of Ukraine is adopted by the majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
In the event a requirement concerning incompatibility of the mandate of the deputy with other types of activity is not fulfilled, the authority of the National Deputy of Ukraine terminates prior to the expiration of the term on the basis of the law pu rsuant to a court decision.

Article 82. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine works in sessions.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is competent on the condition that no less than two-thirds of its constitutional composition has been elected.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine assembles for its first session no later than on the thirtieth day after the official announcement of the election results.
The first meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is opened by the eldest National Deputy of Ukraine.
The operational procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is established by the Constitution of Ukraine and the law on the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 83. Regular sessions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine commence on the first Tuesday of February and on the first Tuesday of September each year.
Special sessions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with the stipulation of their agenda, are convoked by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, on the demand of no fewer National Deputies of Ukraine than one-third of the constitutional composi tion of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, or on the demand of the President of Ukraine.
In the event of the introduction of martial law or of a state of emergency in Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine assembles within a period of two days without convocation.
In the event that the term of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expires while martial law or a state of emergency is in effect, its authority is extended until the day of the first meeting of the first session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, elected after the cancellation of martial law or of the state of emergency.

Article 84. Meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are conducted openly. A closed meeting is conducted on the decision of the majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Decisions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are adopted exclusively at its plenary meetings by voting.
Voting at the meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is performed by a National Deputy of Ukraine in person.

Article 85. The authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine comprises:
1) introducing amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine within the limits and by the procedure envisaged by Chapter XIII of this Constitution;
2) designating an All-Ukrainian referendum on issues determined by Article 73 of this Constitution;
3) adopting laws;
4) approving the State Budget of Ukraine and introducing amendments to it; controlling the implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine and adopting decisions in regard to the report on its implementation;
5) determining the principles of domestic and foreign policy;
6) approving national programmes of economic, scientific and technical, social, national and cultural development, and the protection of the environment;
7) designating elections of the President of Ukraine within the terms envisaged by this Constitution;
8) hearing annual and special messages of the President of Ukraine on the domestic and foreign situation of Ukraine;
9) declaring war upon the submission of the President of Ukraine and concluding peace, approving the 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;
10) removing the President of Ukraine from office in accordance with the special procedure (impeachment) established by Article 111 of this Constitution;
11) considering and adopting the decision in regard to the approval of the Programme of Activity of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
12) giving consent to the appointment of the Prime Minister of Ukraine by the President of Ukraine;
13) exercising control over the activity of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in accordance with this Constitution;
14) confirming decisions on granting loans and economic aid by Ukraine to foreign states and international organisations and also decisions on Ukraine receiving loans not envisaged by the State Budget of Ukraine from foreign states, banks and internat ional financial organisations, exercising control over their use;
15) appointing or electing to office, dismissing from office, granting consent to the appointment to and the dismissal from office of persons in cases envisaged by this Constitution;
16) appointing to office and dismissing from office the Chairman and other members of the Chamber of Accounting;
17) appointing to office and dismissing from office the Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; hearing his or her annual reports on the situation of the observance and protection of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine;
18) appointing to office and dismissing from office the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine on the submission of the President of Ukraine;
19) appointing and dismissing one-half of the composition of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine;
20) appointing one-half of the composition of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting;
21) appointing to office and terminating the authority of the members of the Central Electoral Commission on the submission of the President of Ukraine;
22) confirming the general structure and numerical strength, and defining the functions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and other military formations created in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, and also the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine;
23) approving decisions on providing military assistance to other states, on sending units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to another state, or on admitting units of armed forces of other states on to the territory of Ukraine;
24) granting consent for the appointment to office and the dismissal from office by the President of Ukraine of the Chairman of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine and the Chairman of the State Com mittee on Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine;
25) granting consent for the appointment to office by the President of Ukraine of the Procurator General of Ukraine; declaring no confidence in the Procurator General of Ukraine that has the result of his or her resignation from office;
26) appointing one-third of the composition of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine;
27) electing judges for permanent terms;
28) terminating prior to the expiration of the term of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, based on the opinion of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine that the Constitution of Ukraine or the laws of Ukraine have been violated by the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; designating special elections to the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;
29) establishing and abolishing districts, establishing and altering the boundaries of districts and cities, assigning inhabited localities to the category of cities, naming and renaming inhabited localities and districts;
30) designating regular and special elections to bodies of local self-government;
31) confirming, within two days from the moment of the address by the President of Ukraine, decrees on the introduction of martial law or of a state of emergency in Ukraine or in its particular areas, on total or partial mobilisation, and on the annou ncement of particular areas as zones of an ecological emergency situation;
32) granting consent to the binding character of international treaties of Ukraine within the term established by law, and denouncing international treaties of Ukraine;
33) exercising parliamentary control within the limits determined by this Constitution;
34) adopting decisions on forwarding an inquiry to the President of Ukraine on the demand of a National Deputy of Ukraine, a group of National Deputies or a Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, previously supported by no less than one-third of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
35) appointing to office and dismissing from office the Head of Staff of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; approving the budget of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the structure of its staff;
36) confirming the list of objects of the right of state property that are not subject to privatisation; determining the legal principles for the expropriation of objects of the right of private property.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine exercises other powers ascribed to its competence in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine.

Article 86. At a session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a National Deputy of Ukraine has the right to present an inquiry to the bodies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, chief officers of other bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government, and also to the chief executives of enterprises, institutions and organisations located on the territory of Ukraine, irrespective of their subordination and forms of ownership.
Chief officers of bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government, chief executives of enterprises, institutions and organisations are obliged to notify a National Deputy of Ukraine of the results of the consideration of his or her inquiry.

Article 87. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, on the proposal of no fewer National Deputies of Ukraine than one-third of its constitutional composition, may consider the issue of responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and adopt a resolution of no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by the majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The issue of responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine shall not be considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine more than once during one regular session, and also within one year after the approval of the Programme of Activity of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Article 88. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine elects from among its members the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the First Deputy Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and recalls them.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine:
1) presides at meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
2) organises the preparation of issues for consideration at the meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
3) signs acts adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
4) represents the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in relations with other bodies of state power of Ukraine and with the bodies of power of other states;
5) organises the work of the staff of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine exercises authority envisaged by this Constitution, by the procedure established by law on the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 89. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine confirms the list of Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and elects Chairmen to these Committees.
The Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine perform the work of legislative drafting, prepare and conduct the preliminary consideration of issues ascribed to the authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, within the limits of its authority, may establish temporary special commissions for the preparation and the preliminary consideration of issues.
To investigate issues of public interest, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine establishes temporary investigatory commissions, if no less than one-third of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has voted in favour thereof.
The conclusions and proposals of temporary investigatory commissions are not decisive for investigation and court.
The organisation and operational procedure of Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and also its temporary special and temporary investigatory commissions, are established by law.

Article 90. The authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is terminated on the day of the opening of the first meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of a new convocation.
The President of Ukraine may terminate the authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine prior to the expiration of term, if within thirty days of a single regular session the plenary meetings fail to commence.
The authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, that is elected at special elections conducted after the pre-term termination by the President of Ukraine of authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the previous convocation, shall not be terminate d within one year from the day of its election.
The authority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine shall not be terminated prior to the expiration of term within the last six months of the term of authority of the President of Ukraine.

Article 91. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopts laws, resolutions and other acts by the majority of its constitutional composition, except in cases envisaged by this Constitution.

Article 92. The following are determined exclusively by the laws of Ukraine:
1) human and citizens' rights and freedoms, the guarantees of these rights and freedoms; the main duties of the citizen;
2) citizenship, the legal personality of citizens, the status of foreigners and stateless persons;
3) the rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities;
4) the procedure for the use of languages;
5) the principles of the use of natural resources, the exclusive (maritime) economic zone and the continental shelf, the exploration of outer space, the organisation and operation of power supply systems, transportation and communications;
6) the fundamentals of social protection, the forms and types of pension provision; the principles of the regulation of labour and employment, marriage, family, the protection of childhood, motherhood and fatherhood; upbringing, education, culture and health care; ecological safety;
7) the legal regime of property;
8) the legal principles and guarantees of entrepreneurship; the rules of competition and the norms of antimonopoly regulation;
9) the principles of foreign relations, foreign economic activity and customs;
10) the principles of the regulation of demographic and migration processes;
11) the principles of the establishment and activity of political parties, other associations of citizens, and the mass media;
12) the organisation and activity of bodies of executive power, the fundamentals of civil service, the organisation of state statistics and informatics;
13) the territorial structure of Ukraine;
14) the judicial system, judicial proceedings, the status of judges, the principles of judicial expertise, the organisation and operation of the procuracy, the bodies of inquiry and investigation, the notary, the bodies and institutions for the execution of punishments; the fundamentals of the organisation and activity of the advocacy;
15) the principles of local self-government;
16) the status of the capital of Ukraine; the special status of other cities;
17) the fundamentals of national security, the organisation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ensuring public order;
18) the legal regime of the state border;
19) the legal regime of martial law and a state of emergency, zones of an ecological emergency situation;
20) the organisation and procedure for conducting elections and referendums;
21) the organisation and operational procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the status of National Deputies of Ukraine;
22) the principles of civil legal liability; acts that are crimes, administrative or disciplinary offences, and liability for them.
The following are established exclusively by the laws of Ukraine:
1) the State Budget of Ukraine and the budgetary system of Ukraine; the system of taxation, taxes and levies; the principles of the formation and operation of financial, monetary, credit and investment markets; the status of the national currency and also the status of foreign currencies on the territory of Ukraine; the procedure for the formation and payment of state domestic and foreign debt; the procedure for the issuance and circulation of state securities, their types and forms;
2) the procedure for deploying units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to other states; the procedure for admitting and the terms for stationing units of armed forces of other states on the territory of Ukraine;
3) units of weight, measure and time; the procedure for establishing state standards;
4) the procedure for the use and protection of state symbols;
5) state awards;
6) military ranks, diplomatic and other special ranks;
7) state holidays;
8) the procedure for the establishment and functioning of free and other special zones that have an economic and migration regime different from the general regime.
Amnesty is declared by the law of Ukraine.

Article 93. The right of legislative initiative in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine belongs to the President of Ukraine, the National Deputies of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine.
Draft laws defined by the President of Ukraine as not postponable, are considered out of turn by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 94. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine signs a law and forwards it without delay to the President of Ukraine.
Within fifteen days of the receipt of a law, the President of Ukraine signs it, accepting it for execution, and officially promulgates it, or returns it to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with substantiated and formulated proposals for repeat consideration.
In the event that the President of Ukraine has not returned a law for repeat consideration within the established term, the law is deemed to be approved by the President of Ukraine and shall be signed and officially promulgated.
If a law, during its repeat consideration, is again adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine by no less than two-thirds of its constitutional composition, the President of Ukraine is obliged to sign and to officially promulgate it within ten days.
A law enters into force in ten days from the day of its official promulgation, unless otherwise envisaged by the law itself, but not prior to the day of its publication.

Article 95. The budgetary system of Ukraine is built on the principles of just and impartial distribution of social wealth among citizens and territorial communities.
Any state expenditures for the needs of the entire society, the extent and purposes of these expenditures, are determined exclusively by the law on the State Budget of Ukraine.
The State aspires to a balanced budget of Ukraine.
Regular reports on revenues and expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine shall be made public.

Article 96. The State Budget of Ukraine is annually approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for the period from 1 January to 31 December, and under special circumstances for a different period.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submits the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for the following year to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine no later than on 15 September of each year. The report on the course of the implementation of the State B udget of Ukraine in the current year is submitted together with the draft law.

Article 97. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submits the report on the implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in accordance with the law.
The submitted report shall be made public.

Article 98. The Chamber of Accounting exercises control over the use of finances of the State Budget of Ukraine on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Article 99. The monetary unit of Ukraine is the hryvnia.
To ensure the stability of the monetary unit is the major function of the central bank of the State - the National Bank of Ukraine.

Article 100. The Council of the National Bank of Ukraine elaborates the basic principles of monetary and credit policy and exercises control over its execution.
The legal status of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine is determined by law.

Article 101. The Authorised Human Rights Representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine exercises parliamentary control over the observance of constitutional human and citizens' rights and freedoms.

* * *

* * *

Print version

Official visit to Portugal

President's Schedule

25.06.2008

President's of Latvia visit to Ukraine 

23.06.2008

Official visit to Portugal 

Photo Gallery

Virtual tour

EURO 2012