
Legislative branch
THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE
According to article 75 of the Constitution, the sole body of legislative power in Ukraine is the Parliament - the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral Parliament, consisting 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.
The previous composition of the Parliament was formed in March 2002 on a mixed proportional-majority basis. Half of the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada were elected on a proportional basis (the threshold for parties and blocs was 4%), and the latter half – on a majority basis.
Under amendments to Ukraine's election law (spring 2004), the Rada's seats are allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote. Accordingly, the parliamentary election of 2006 was held on a proportional basis exclusively.
On December 8, 2004 - the Verkhovna Rada adopted constitution amendments on Ukraine’s transition to the parliamentary-presidential republic. As a result, the authorities of the Verkhovna Rada are significantly enlarged. According to the amendments, the Government is formed by a coalition of a parliamentary majority. The term of office of the Parliament is prolonged up to 5 years. These constitution amendments took effect on January 1, 2006.
On December 4, 2007 - Arseniy Yatsenyuk was elected Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of the VI convocation (Yatsenyuk was preceded by Oleksander Moroz).
On September 16, 2008 - the Parlamentary coalition of Our Ukraine – People's Self-Defence Bloc and Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc ceased to exist.
On September 17, 2008 - Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigned from his Chairmanship of the Verkhovna Rada.
On October 8, 2008 - President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved the Parliament and announced snap elections in the country.
On October 20, 2008 - President suspended his decree on dissolution of the Parliament. The early parliamentary elections were postponed till December 14.
On November 12, 2008 - Verkhovna Rada has approved the resignation of Parliamentary Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
On December 9, 2008 - the Parlamentary coalition of Our Ukraine – People's Self-Defence Bloc, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc and Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc was created.
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 (Party of Regions, Volodymyr Lytvyn Bloc, Communist Party of Ukraine) loyal to new President Viktor Yanukovych, and approved a new government led by newly appointed Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
Factions of the Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is featured by an extremely unstable faction structure. Parliamentary culture emerged in the period of independence is loyal to frequent transfers of members of the Verkhovna Rada from one faction to another. It also tolerates pluralism within one faction, situational faction alliances, amalgamation and fragmentation of the deputy groups and factions.
As a result of the April 2007 political crisis, President Viktor Yushchenko issued a decree on dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada. The early elections to the Verkhkovna Rada of Ukraine were held on September 30, 2007. 450 MPs were elected from political parties and blocs under the proportional representation voting system. The political parties and blocs had to make it over the three-percent hurdle in order to take part in the distribution of the seats in the parliament.
Parliamentary election results and composition of the Verkhovna Rada of the VI convocation were made public only on October 15, 2007.
According to Ukraine's Central Election Committee, the Party of Regions took 34.74 percent of votes, (when the MPs mandates are distributed the party will get 175 seats in the Verkhovna Rada), Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc – 30.71 percent (156 seats), Our Ukraine – People's Self-Defence Bloc – 14.15 percent (72 seats), the Communist Party of Ukraine – 5.39 percent (27 seats), Lytvin Bloc – 3.96 percent (20 seats). The other parties took less that 3 percent of votes necessary to participate in the distribution of the MPs mandates.

Previous convocations
Factions of the Verkhovna Rada of the V convocation
According to the results of the March 26, 2006 elections, five political forces have made it into the new Verkhovna Rada: the Party of Regions, the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc, the Our Ukraine Bloc, the Socialist Party (SPU) and the Communist Party (CPU).
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Party of Regions
Leader: Raisa Bogatyreva
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Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc
Leader : Yuliya Tymoshenko
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Our Ukraine Bloc
Leader: Viacheslav Kyrylenko
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Socialist Party
Leader : Ivan Boky
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Communist Party
Leader :
Petro Symonenko

Factions of the Verkhovna Rada of the IV convocation
In the parliamentary elections of March 2002 six blocs and parties overcame the 4 % threshold: Our Ukraine (23.57%), the Communist Party of Ukraine (19.98%), United Ukraine (11.77%), Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc (7.26%), the Socialist Party of Ukraine (6.87%), United Social Democratic Party (6.27%).

In 2002 the parliamentary majority was formed on the basis of the bloc United Ukraine and the United Social Democratic Party. Our Ukraine, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc, CPU and SPU fell within the opposition. Following the election, United Ukraine splintered into the Agrarian Party, European Choice, People’s Choice, People’s Democratic Party, Regions of Ukraine, and Working Ukraine-Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
After the presidential elections of autumn – winter 2004 the Ukrainian Parliament underwent major alterations. Parties that voted for Viktor Yushchenko (Our Ukraine, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc, CPU, Industrialists and Entrepreneurs - 32% votes in total) formed the basis of a new parliamentary majority.
Besides mentioned parties, the following political groups are represented in the Verkhovna Rada:
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“waiting centrists” (about 19%): Volya Naroda, Democratic Initiatives, People’s Democratic Party or PDP “Republic”, Union Group.
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“Lytvyn’s bloc” (about 18%). Factions of this bloc are grouped around the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn: Agrarian Party, Democratic Ukraine, United Ukraine and Center Group.
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“bloc of the former authorities” (17%): the Socialist Democratic Party of Ukraine and Regions of Ukraine.
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communists, 13% of votes.

LOBBY GROUPS IN THE VERKHOVNA RADA
As the Verkhovna Rada is one of the key centers in the policy making process and has considerable wide powers, lobbing activities are widespread within the Ukrainian Parliament. Close ties of political parties and business favour the lobbyism in the law making process.
Official Site
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - www.rada.gov.ua
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