Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine Голова Верховної Ради України
Supreme Council building
Incumbent Volodymyr Lytvyn since December 9, 2008
Appointer	Parliament by secret ballot
Term length	Resignation, dismissal or new convocation of parliament.
Inaugural holder	Mykhailo Burmystenko, January 30, 1937
Formation	Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR of July 25, 1938
Succession	First
Website	chairman.rada.gov.ua

The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Голова Верховної Ради України) is the speaker of the Supreme Council, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The speaker presides over the parliament and its procedures. They are elected by secret ballot from the parliament's deputy ranks.^[1] The Chairman of the Supreme Council is the first in order of succession for the office of President of Ukraine pending the president's inability to govern or impeachment from office.

The office of Chairman has existed since the ratification of the Constitution of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on January 30, 1937. Mykhailo Burmystenko, who was appointed on January 30, 1937, was the inaugural holder of the office. There have been 18 Chairmen of the Supreme Council since then. Volodymyr Lytvyn is the current chairman since being confirmed on December 9, 2008^[2][3] after the dismissal of Arseniy Yatsenyuk^[4] on November 12, 2008.^[5][6]

[edit] Mission and authority

According to Article 88 of the Ukrainian Constitution, the Chairman of the Supreme Council is allowed to:^[1]

1. preside over meetings of parliament;
2. organize work of the Supreme Council and coordinate its activities;
3. sign and promulgate acts adopted by the Supreme Council;
4. represent the parliament in relation with other bodies of state power of Ukraine and with the bodies of power of other states;
5. organize the work of the staff of the parliament.

The chairman is also allowed to call special sessions of parliament,^[7] enact bills vetoed by the president only when the Supreme Council votes to overcome the veto by a two-thirds majority, and participate in meetings of the National Security and Defence Council.^[8]

[edit] Head of state

The Chairman of the Supreme Council is the first in the order of succession, becoming the next head of state with limited authority while new presidential elections are conducted.^[9] Actions not allowed to be performed by the acting president include:^[9]

• disbanding the parliament;
• appointing or submitting candidates for parliamentary approval of government posts;
• granting military ranks or state orders;
• exercising the right of pardon.

No provisions for presidential succession are included in case both the president's and chairman's positions are vacant.

[edit] List of chairmen

The following table includes the Chairmen of Supreme Council (since 1991), the Chairmen of Supreme Soviet of Ukrainian SSR (1990-1991, 1938), and the Chairmen of Presidium of Supreme Soviet of Ukrainian SSR (1938-1990):

Volodymyr Lytvyn, chairman of the fourth and sixth convocations.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, chairman of the sixth convocation.

Oleksandr Moroz, chairman of the second and fifth convocation.

Ukraine

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Ukraine

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[edit] Special state privileges

All who occupied the post of Speaker may expect for special privileges from the state. All Speakers, after they finish their tenure, are provided with cabinets in the parliament’s building, an official car “for constant work” and an advisor and an aide at the state expense.^[19]

The respective decree #296 was signed by Volodymyr Lytvyn as early as on June 7, 2006 – a month before he was dismissed from the post of Parliament’s Speaker. During three years Supreme Council officials kept silence about the document, it was made public by an article in DELO mid-May 2009.^[19]

[edit] References and footnotes

[edit] External links

• "Official website of the Chairman". Supreme Council of Ukraine. http://chairman.rada.gov.ua/.