State Building in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Parliament, 1990-2003 (Basees Routledgecurzon Series on Russian and East European Studies, 10)

This book examines the development of the Ukrainian parliament - the Verkhovna Rada - from before Ukraine's independence in 1991 to the present. It shows how the parliament transformed itself from a provincial republican Soviet to the national legislature of a sovereign state and from a nominal, symbolic body to a genuine legislative and representative institution. It discusses the key role of parliament in the wider state-building process and examines the evolution of political factions and the committee system in the parliament. When Ukraine became independent in 1991, it inherited an underdeveloped set of state institutions with which to manage its transformation to statehood. The task of establishing a legal base for the operation of the new polity was the responsibility of the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, an institution itself undergoing colossal upheaval. From 1991, it was transformed from a provincial republican Soviet into the national legislature of a sovereign state and from a nominal, symbolic body into a genuine legislative and representative institution. Therefore, the process of building parliament as an institution has been integral to and part of the legislature's engagement in the wider state-building process. This book considers the Rada's development as an essential component of state-building in Ukraine. It examines internal institutional change by focusing on the emergence of party caucuses and transformation of standing committees, and explores the impact of these changes on the legislative process. This is the first in-depth study of Ukraine's parliament and is based on extensive fieldwork inside the Rada.; As such, it offers not only an intimate case study of how institutions change in the post-Soviet context, but also moves beyond formal rules to provide a rich picture of how politics really operates in Ukraine. The book will be of interest to scholars of comparative legislative studies, neo-institutionalism and post-communist democratisation. The book is suitable for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 10 Illustrations......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Key terms and abbreviations......Page 14 A note on transliteration......Page 15 1 Ukraine’s parliament in theoretical perspective......Page 16 2 Between parties and the president......Page 37 3 Factions emergent, 1990–4......Page 64 4 Factions ascendant, 1994–8......Page 81 5 Factions dominant, 1998–2002?......Page 107 6 Committee institutionalization, 1990–2002......Page 134 7 The ‘last bastion’ of democracy in Ukraine?......Page 172 8 Conclusion......Page 192 Appendix: List of standing committees in the Verkhovna Rada, 1990–2002......Page 205 Notes......Page 208 Bibliography......Page 216 Index......Page 230 Ukraine's Parliament In Theoretical Perspective -- Between Parties And The President : The Verkhovna Rada, 1990-2003 -- Factions Emergent, 1990-4 -- Factions Ascendant, 1994-8 -- Factions Dominant, 1998-2002? -- Committee Institutionalization, 1990-2002 -- The 'last Bastion' Of Democracy In Ukraine? -- Conclusion -- Appendix: List Of Standing Committees In The Verkhovna Rada, 1990-2002. Sarah Whitmore. Simultaneously Published In The Usa And Canada. Based On An Updated And Revised Version Of The Author's Thesis (ph. D.--university Of Birmingham) Under The Title: Building Institutions In Ukraine : The Case Of Parliament, 1990-2000. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-214) And Index. Ukraine's Parliament in theoretical perspective Between parties and the president : the Verkhovna Rada Factions emergent Factions ascendant Factions dominant? Committee institutionalization, 1990-2003 The 'last bastion' of Ukrainian democracy? Conclusion Appendix: list of standing committees in the Verkhovna Rada, 1990-2002.