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[[Leonid Kuchma]] (b. 1938) was elected as [[Ukraine]]'s second president in free and fair elections in 1994, defeating [[Leonid Kravchuk]]. Kuchma was reelected in November 1999 to another five-year term, with 56% of the vote. He left office in 2005. Despite numerous scandals he was credited with removing the Soviet era restrictions and sponsoring capitalism, which led to high rates of economic growth. He downplayed conflicts with [[Russia]].

[[Leonid Kuchma]] (b. 1938) was elected as [[Ukraine]]'s second president in free and fair elections in 1994, defeating [[Leonid Kravchuk]]. Kuchma was reelected in November 1999 to another five-year term, with 56% of the vote. He left office in 2005. Despite numerous scandals he was credited with removing the Soviet era restrictions and sponsoring free trade, which led to high rates of economic growth. He downplayed conflicts with [[Russia]], especially regarding the status of 11 million Russians living in Ukraine.

 

Local networks of elites remain important in Ukraine; Kuchma brought in many friends and allies from his base in Dnipropetrovsk; they dominated the administrative and executive branches of government.  

Kuchma, a rocket engineer was a technocrat in the aerospace industry before becoming prime minister in 1992-93.

Kuchma, a rocket engineer was a technocrat in the aerospace industry before becoming prime minister in 1992-93.