State Structure of Ukraine

The Constitution establishes the country’s political system. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent, democratic, social, legal state. It is a unitary, not a federal, state with single citizenship. Ukraine is a republic. The people are the only source of power which is exercised through the bodies of state power and local self-government.

The Constitution outlines the structure of the national go­vernment and specifies its powers and duties. Under the Consti­tution the powers of the government are divided into three bran­ches – the legislative, the executive and the judicial.

The only body of the legislative power in Ukraine is parliament – the Supreme Rada (the Verkhovna Rada). It consists of 450 people’s deputies, who are elected for a term of four years on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. The Supreme Rada’s main function is making laws. The Supreme Rada adopts the State Budget for the period from January 1 to Decem­ber 31 and controls the execution of it.

The President of Ukraine is the head of the state and speaks on behalf of it. He is elected directly by the voters for a term of five years with no more than two full terms. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Ukraine and is responsible for relations between Ukraine and other powers.

The highest body of the executive power is the Cabinet of Ministers. It is responsible to the President and is accountable to the Supreme Rada. The Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister who is appointed by the President and approved by the Supreme Rada. The Cabinet carries out domestic and foreign policy of the state, develops and fulfills national programs on the economic, scientific and technological, social and cultural development of Ukraine.

Justice in Ukraine is exercised entirely by courts. It is administered by the Constitutional Court and by courts of general jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest juri­dical body of general jurisdiction.

Vocabulary

sovereign	-	суверенный
independent	-	независимый
independence	-	независимость
legal	-	правовой, законный
citizen	-	гражданин
citizenship	-	гражданство
powers and duties	-	полномочия и обязанности
legislative	-	законодательный
executive	-	исполнительный
judicial	-	судебный
to elect (election)	-	выбирать (выборы)
to vote	-	голосовать (избирать)
suffrage	-	избирательное право
by secret ballot	-	тайным голосованием
to make law	-	создавать законы
to perform	-	выполнять, исполнять
the State Budget	-	гос. бюджет
to speak on behalf of	-	выступать от имени
to be responsible for (... to )	-	быть ответственным за что-л. (перед кем-л.)
to carry out	-	выполнять, осуществлять
domestic (home) policy	-	внутренняя политика
foreign policy	-	внешняя политика
to develop	-	развивать, разрабатывать
justice	-	правосудие, справедливость
jurisdiction	-	правоведение, юрисдикция
court (Constitutional court,	-	суд (Конституционный суд,
the Supreme court,	-	Верховный суд,
court of general jurisdiction)	-	суд общей юрисдикции).