Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( _uk. Кабінет Міністрів України) is the highest body of state executive power in Ukrainecite web|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Ukraine#Article_116|title=Article 116|accessdate=2007-12-23|work=Wikisource] and serves as the cabinet of government. The Cabinet is responsible to the President of Ukraine and is under the control of and accountable to the Verkhovna Rada ("parliament"). It consists of the Prime Minister, the First Vice-Prime Minister, several Vice-Prime Ministers and many other ministers, which head their departments.

The Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister, chosen from the parliament with the President's formal proposal. The twelfth and latest Cabinet was chosen on December 18, 2007 and is headed by Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.Cite Ukrainian law|type=Order of the Verkhovna Rada|number=10-VI|law=10-17|name=On the formation of the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine|date=2007-12-18]

Authority

The Cabinet issues resolutions and orders that are mandatory for execution. Normative legal acts of the Cabinet, ministries and other central bodies of executive power, are subject to registration. Failure to register invalidates the act.

Appointment and dismissal

Before the constitutional reform adopted in late 2004 that took effect on January 1, 2006, the Prime Minister was nominated by the President and approved by the parliament. Subsequently, the rest of Cabinet was appointed by the President, formally upon the Prime Minister's nomination, while in reality the entire cabinet was often picked by the President himself.

After the reform, the parliament has the authority to both nominate and approve the Prime Minister. The candidate is proposed by the parliamentary coalition to the President and the latter submits an official nomination back to Verkhovna Rada for a formal approval vote. While the official nomination of the candidate for the parliamentary approval is still made by the President, the Head of the State, formally, takes no part in the nominee's selection and there is an ambiguity whether the President may turn down the candidate suggested by the parliamentary coalition.

The Prime Minister, following his appointment, nominates other members of the Cabinet (ministers) for approval by the Verkhovna Rada, except for the Minister of the Foreign Affairs and of Defense, who are both nominated by the President.

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet could now be dismissed only by the parliament while formerly the President could dismiss the entire cabinet unilaterally at any time.

Members of the Cabinet and chief officers of central and local bodies of executive power may not combine their official activity with other work, except teaching, scholarly and creative activity outside of working hours, or to be members of an administrative body or board of supervisors of an enterprise that is aimed at making profit.

Composition

The current Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has been appointed on December 18, 2007:

References

External links

* [http://www.kmu.gov.ua Governmental Portal of Ukraine] - official site of the Cabinet of Ministers
* CNN World: [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/08/04/ukraine.pm.ap/index.html Yanukovych named new Ukraine PM] , August 4, 2006
* BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4225566.stm Ukraine leader sacks government] , September 8, 2005