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Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Голова Верховної Ради України
Incumbent Ruslan Stefanchuk since 8 October 2021
Nominator	Verkhovna Rada
Appointer	Secret ballot
Term length	Five years
Constituting instrument	Article 88, Constitution of Ukraine Rules of the Procedures of the Verkhovna Rada
Precursor	Chairman of Central Executive Committee (1917–1937) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (1937–1991) Chairman of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (1991-1996)
Inaugural holder	Mykhailo Burmystenko
Formation	30 January 1937; 87 years ago (1937-01-30) (original) 28 June 1996; 28 years ago (1996-06-28) (current form)
Deputy	First Deputy Chairman
Salary	₴21,144 monthly
Website	chairman.rada.gov.ua

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The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Голова Верховної Ради України, romanized: Holova Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy) is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's unicameral parliament. The chairman presides over the parliament and its procedures. Chairmen are elected by open voting from the parliament's deputy ranks.

Ruslan Stefanchuk is the current chairman since being confirmed on 8 October 2021.

History

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. The post replaced the existing position of a chairman of Central Executive Committee (1917–37). Along with the chairman, from 1937 to 1996 Verkhovna Rada was also governed by the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada that consisted of about 20 members.

There have been 18 Chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada since 1927. Until Ukraine's independence in 1991, it was titled as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR.

Mission and authority

According to Article 88 of the Ukrainian Constitution, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is allowed to:

1. preside over meetings of parliament;
2. organize work of the Verkhovna Rada and coordinate its activities;
3. sign and promulgate acts adopted by the Verkhovna Rada;
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, enact bills vetoed by the president only when the Verkhovna Rada votes to overcome the veto by a two-thirds majority, and participate in meetings of the National Security and Defence Council.

The chairman and his two assistants (deputy chairmen) cannot head factions of deputies.

Head of state

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is designated as the first in the order of succession to the presidency, with limited authority (1992–1996, 2004–2010, and 2014-Present) while new presidential elections are conducted. While the chairman serves as acting president, he is barred from taking the following actions:

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

Succession

No provisions for presidential succession are explicitly proscribed in case both the president's and chairman's positions are vacant. However, in case of vacancy of the post of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, it is filled by deputies of the chairman.

During the Soviet era, there was one more post known as the chairman of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR's who was de jure head of state; the de facto head of state was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

List of chairmen

Special state privileges

All former chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada receive special state privileges. After the completion of their tenure, former chairmen are provided with an office in the parliament's building, an official government car and an adviser and an aide at state expense.

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. After three years since its adoption, Verkhovna Rada officials kept silent about the law, after which it was made public by an article in the DELO newspaper in mid-May 2009.

References

1. Price of parliamentarism: how effective and transparent Verkhovna Rada spends money (Цена парламентаризма: насколько эффективно и прозрачно Верховная Рада тратит деньги). Agumentua. 14 May 2018
2. Yanukovych signs law on open voting to elect parliamentary chairman, Kyiv Post (19 November 2012)
3. "Stefanchuk Of Ukraine's Ruling Party Becomes New Parliament Speaker". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
4. "Article 88". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
5. "Article 83". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
6. "Article 107". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
7. Rada amends regulations of its activities, Kyiv Post (October 8, 2010)
8. ^ "Article 112". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
9. ^ Lytvyn makes himself well-provided till end of life, UNIAN (May 15, 2009)

External links

• "Official website of the Chairman". Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
• Высшие органы государственной власти Украинской ССР (Supreme authorities of state power of the Ukrainian SSR)

v t e Verkhovna Rada
Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (1937–1941, 1947–1991)
Main topics	Chairman list Presidium 1938-1996 People's Deputy of Ukraine Committees Accounting Chamber Ombudsman National Parliamentary Library Verkhovna Rada building
Parliamentary elections	1918 1938 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1980 1985 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2007 2012 2014 2019 Next
Members of parliament	Ukraine First members, 1990–94 Second members, 1994–98 Third members, 1998–2002 Fourth members, 2002–06 Fifth members, 2006-07 Sixth members, 2007–12 Seventh members, 2012–14 Eighth members, 2014–19 Ninth members, 2019–23 Ukrainian SSR First members, 1938–1947 Second members, 1947–1951 Third members, 1951–1955 Fourth members, 1955–1959 Fifth members, 1959–1963 Sixth members, 1963–1967 Seventh members, 1967–1971 Eighth members, 1971–1975 Ninth members, 1975–1980 Tenth members, 1980–1985 Eleventh members, 1985–1990
List of chairmen	Ukraine Ivan Plyushch Oleksandr Moroz Oleksandr Tkachenko Ivan Plyushch Volodymyr Lytvyn Oleksandr Moroz Arseniy Yatsenyuk Oleksandr Lavrynovych (acting) Volodymyr Lytvyn Volodymyr Rybak Oleksandr Turchynov Volodymyr Groysman Andriy Parubiy Dmytro Razumkov Ruslan Stefanchuk Ukrainian SSR Mykhailo Burmystenko Oleksandr Korniychuk Pavlo Tychyna Oleksandr Korniychuk Mykhailo Bilyi Kostiantyn Sytnyk Platon Kostiuk Volodymyr Ivashko Leonid Kravchuk Presidium Leonid Korniets Mykhailo Hrechukha Demyan Korotchenko Oleksandr Lyashko Ivan Hrushetsky Oleksiy Vatchenko Valentyna Shevchenko Volodymyr Ivashko Leonid Kravchuk Ivan Plyushch Oleksandr Moroz
Historic predecessors	Central Council of Ukraine All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets Central Executive Committee of Ukraine Ukrainian Constituent Assembly (never realized) Labor Congress of Ukraine Soim Carpathian Ukraine Ukrainian National Council West Ukraine Council of Republic
See also	Politics of Ukraine Political parties in Ukraine Elections in Ukraine Piano voting in Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada
• Politics of Ukraine
• Legislative speakers
• Chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada