Executive branch

PRESIDENT

According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the President acts as an arbitrator in the interaction of the state power branches, although having significant authorities. Not being the formal head of the executive power, the President supervises functioning of the executive bodies.

Presidential Authorities

The President of Ukraine doesn't dominate over the political system of the country. He exercises his authorities by approbation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, as well as independently or guided by the Prime Minister.

According to the Constitution, the President of Ukraine is granted with the following authorities:

• Suppression of any activity of legislative, executive or judicial power that in any way violates the Constitution of Ukraine. To exercise this authority the President is entitled to restrain the solutions of the power bodies, as well as has the right to put a veto on laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada.
• Basing on and in pursuance of the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine the President issues decrees and arrangements, which are binding on the territory of Ukraine.
• The President introduces the Minister of Defense, the Foreign Minister, the Prosecutor General and the Security Service Chairman to the Verkhovna Rada for confirmation. The President takes part in the Government's meetings, as well as appoints his representatives to the Constitutional Court and the Verkhovna Rada.
• The President is the Head of State and acts in its name. He represents the State in international relations, directs all foreign policy of the State, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties of Ukraine.
• The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the event of an armed aggression against Ukraine, the President makes decisions on the use of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to defend the state against the aggressor. The President heads the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine.

Personalities

Viktor Yanukovych – President of Ukraine (since February 2, 2005)

Official Site

President of Ukraine - www.president.gov.ua

PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE

The Presidential Executive Office of Ukraine is a permanent body and has been formed by the President to implement his powers. Chief of the Presidential Executive Office, who is appointed and dismissed by the Ukrainian President, heads the Presidential Executive Office. The main task of the Presidential Executive Office is to ensure the implementation by Ukraine’s President of his constitutional powers following the principles of openness, publicity and transparency.

The Presidential Executive Office of Ukraine was created in February 2010, after Viktor Yanukovych had been elected President of Ukraine. When Viktor Yushchenko was the Ukrainian President, the Presidential Secretariat worked instead of the Presidential Executive Office (from February 2005 to February 2010). Viktor Yushchenko believed that the turning of the Presidential Executive Office into the Presidential Secretariat was expected to be a step towards limiting this body powers. Before that, under President Leonid Kuchma, the Presidential Executive Office was a quite independent political institution included in the checks and balances between different factions of the ruling elite.

Personalities

Sergey Lyovochkin - Head of the Presidential Executive Office.

GOVERNMENT

The Government of Ukraine – the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine – is the supreme body in the system of executive power institutions. The constitution amendments adopted on December 8, 2004 by the Verkhovna Rada enlarged the authorities of the Government and significantly changed its formation principles.

According to the constitution amendments (which became operative on January 1, 2006) the Prime Minister is appointed by the Verkhovna Rada with the consent of more than a half of its constitutional composition. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is appointed by the Verkhovna Rada on the submission of the Prime Minister of Ukraine. The President has the right to submit to the Parliament the candidacies of the Minister of Defense, the Foreign Minister, the Prosecutor General and the Security Service Chairman of Ukraine.

The constitutional reform has made the formation of the Ukrainian Government by a parliamentary majority formal. This principle of Government composition has been in practice since 2000.

At the same time the Prime Minister of Ukraine has the right to nominate the heads of local government administrations.

As a result of the early parliamentary election held on 30 September 2007, the coalition Government was formed on 18 December 2007 after Yuliya Tymoshenko for the second time became Prime-Minister of Ukraine.

March 2, 2010 – Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, announced the breakup of the parliamentary majority coalition (Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc and Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc).

March 3, 2010 – The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Ukraine’s Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko.

On March 11, 2010 – The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine formed a majority parliamentary coalition loyal to new President Viktor Yanukovych, and approved a new government led by newly appointed Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

Personalities

Mykola Azarov  - Prime-Minister of Ukraine (appointed on March 11, 2010)

Andriy Klyuev - First Deputy Prime Minister

Sergei Tigipko - Deputy Prime Minister

Boris Kolesnikov - Deputy Prime Minister

Volodymyr Seminozhenko - Deputy Prime Minister

Volodymyr Sivkovich - Deputy Prime Minister

Viktor Slauta - Deputy Prime Minister

Viktor Tikhonov - Deputy Prime Minister

Kostyantyn Hryshchenko - Foreign Minister

Myhailo Yezhel - Defense minister

Fedir Yaroshenko - Finance Minister

Vasyl Tsushko - Economics minister

Anatoliy Mohilev - Interior Minister

Official Sites

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine - www.kmu.gov.ua

Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine - www.minagro.kiev.ua

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine - www.mil.gov.ua

Ministry of Economy and European Integration of Ukraine - www.me.gov.ua

Ministry of Finance of Ukraine - www.minfin.gov.ua

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine - www.mfa.gov.ua

Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine - www.mpe.energy.gov.ua

Ministry of Justice of Ukraine - www.minjust.gov.ua

EXECUTIVE BODIES OF THE AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC OF CRIMEA AND OTHER REGIONS

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea (ARC) is governed by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Head of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is designated and dismissed by the Supreme Council of the Republic with the agreement of the President of Ukraine.

In accordance with article 137 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the ARC implements normative regulation over the following policy issues:

• agriculture and forests;
• melioration and open-cast mines;
• public works, crafts and mines; charity;
• town-planning and housing services;
• tourism, hotel business, fairs;
• museums, libraries, theaters, other cultural institutions, historical and cultural reserves;
• public transport, highway, water-pipes;
• hunting, fishing;
• health and medical services.

According to article 138 of the Constitution of Ukraine and the law “On local government administrations”, the executive power in administrative divisions, as well as in Kiev and Sevastopol is exercised by the local government administrations.

The heads of the local government administrations are designated and dismissed by the President of Ukraine on the submission of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The heads of the local government administrations are accountable to the President of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers.

When the constitution amendments approved by the Verkhovna Rada on December 8, 2004 take effect the heads of the local government administrations will be designated by the Prime Minister.