President of Ukraine - Overview

Overview

The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army and heads the National Security and Defense Council, which advises the President, co-ordinates and controls the activity of bodies of executive power in the sphere of national security and defense. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the president is the guarantor of the state's sovereignty, territorial indivisibility, the observance of the Constitution of Ukraine and human and citizens' rights and freedoms.

As with the separation of powers, the President has checks on the authority of parliament and the judicial system. For instance, any law passed by the parliament can be vetoed by the President; however, parliament can override his veto with a 2/3 constitutional majority vote.

The President has limited authority to disband the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), and nominates candidates for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense in the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers. Six out of eighteen of the Constitutional Court judges are appointed by the President. Decisions of the President are subject to review by Ukraine's courts with the Constitutional Court having the sole authority and power to declare decrees of the president unconstitutional. While in office, the president enjoys the right of immunity.

The President's official residence is the Mariyinsky Palace, located in the Pechersk district of the capital Kiev. Other official residences include the House with Chimaeras and the House of the Weeping Widow, which are used for official visits by foreign representatives. The Presidential Administration of Ukraine, unofficially known as "Bankova" in reference to the street it is located on, serves as the Presidential administration, advising the President in the domestic, foreign and legal matters.

The President is directly elected by the citizens of Ukrainian for a five-year term of office. A person shall not be the President of Ukraine for more than two consecutive terms.

Since the office's formation on July 5, 1991, there have been four Presidents of Ukraine. Leonid Kravchuk was the inaugural president, serving two and a half years from his official inauguration in 1992 until his resignation in 1994. Leonid Kuchma was the only President to have served two consecutive terms in office, a little over 10 years.

The third President was Viktor Yushchenko, who was elected on December 26, 2004 and inaugurated on January 23, 2005. His term of office expired on February 25, 2010. While he was eligible for re-election at the 2010 presidential election, that took place on January 17, 2010, Viktor Yushchenko's support was rated below 4% in the public opinion polls and he did not make the February 7 run-off vote. The winner of the February 7 run-off vote was Viktor Yanukovych, whose inaugural ceremony took place on February 25, 2010.

The President is barred by the Constitution from heading a political party.

Ukrainian Presidents are frequently asked by individual citizens for help in solving their personal problems (sometimes successfully); in 2012, President Yanukovych received about 10,000 to 12,000 letters from people every month. By-passing local governments is an ages-old practice in Ukraine.