Changes

Important Ukrainian literary figures include Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, and Lesia Ukrainka.

Important Ukrainian literary figures include Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, and Lesia Ukrainka.

==Constitution==

==Law since 1991==

[[File:Ukrainians greet Nazis 1941.PNG|right|350px|thumb|Ukrainians welcome Nazis, 1941 with banners saying "Heil Hitler".]]

[[File:Ukrainians greet Nazis 1941.PNG|right|350px|thumb|Ukrainians welcome Nazis, 1941 with banners saying "Heil Hitler".]]

Ukraine has a parliamentary-presidential system of government with separate executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The president nominates the defense and foreign ministers, and the Prosecutor General and Chief of the State Security Service ([[SBU]]), each of whom must be confirmed by the parliament. Beginning in 2006, the 450-member unicameral parliament (Supreme Rada) names the prime minister, who in turn nominates other ministers. The Supreme Rada initiates legislation, ratifies international agreements, and approves the budget. Its members are elected to five-year terms. Following free elections held on December 1, 1991, Leonid M. Kravchuk, former chairman of the Ukrainian Rada, was elected to a five-year term, and became Ukraine's first president. At the same time, a referendum on independence was approved by more than 90% of the voters.  

Ukraine has a parliamentary-presidential system of government with separate executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The president nominates the defense and foreign ministers, and the Prosecutor General and Chief of the State Security Service ([[SBU]]), each of whom must be confirmed by the parliament. Beginning in 2006, the 450-member unicameral parliament (Supreme Rada) names the prime minister, who in turn nominates other ministers. The Supreme Rada initiates legislation, ratifies international agreements, and approves the budget. Its members are elected to five-year terms. Following free elections held on December 1, 1991, Leonid M. Kravchuk, former chairman of the Ukrainian Rada, was elected to a five-year term, and became Ukraine's first president. At the same time, a referendum on independence was approved by more than 90% of the voters.  

Shortly after splitting off from the Soviet Union, Ukraine named a parliamentary commission to prepare a new constitution, adopted a multi-party system, and adopted legislative guarantees of civil and political rights for national minorities. A new, constitution was adopted on June 28, 1996, which mandates a pluralistic political system with protection of basic human rights and liberties. Amendments that took effect January 1, 2006, shifted significant powers from the president to the prime minister and Supreme Rada.  These reforms were nullified and rescinded by President Volodymyr Zelensky and the fascist-dominated parliament in March 2022 with the banning of opposition parties, imposition of censorship, and arrest, detention, and assassination of polical opponents and dissidents.

Shortly after splitting off from the Soviet Union, Ukraine named a parliamentary commission to prepare a new constitution, adopted a multi-party system, and adopted legislative guarantees of civil and political rights for national minorities. A new, constitution was adopted on June 28, 1996, which mandates a pluralistic political system with protection of basic human rights and liberties. Amendments that took effect January 1, 2006, shifted significant powers from the president to the prime minister and Supreme Rada.  These reforms were nullified and rescinded by President Volodymyr Zelensky and the fascist-dominated parliament in March 2022 with the banning of opposition parties, imposition of censorship, and arrest, detention, and assassination of pollical opponents and dissidents.

Freedom of religion was guaranteed by law by the 1996 constitution, although religious organizations were required to register with local authorities and with the central government. Minority rights were respected in accordance with a 1991 law guaranteeing ethnic minorities the right to schools and cultural facilities and the use of national languages in conducting personal business until the U.S.-backed Maidan regime began a policy of extermination and removal of ethnic Russian citizens and Russian culture from public life. According to the constitution, Ukrainian is the only official state language.  

Freedom of religion was guaranteed by law by the 1996 constitution, although religious organizations were required to register with local authorities and with the central government. Minority rights were respected in accordance with a 1991 law guaranteeing ethnic minorities the right to schools and cultural facilities and the use of national languages in conducting personal business until the U.S.-backed Maidan regime began a policy of extermination and removal of ethnic Russian citizens and Russian culture from public life. According to the constitution, Ukrainian is the only official state language.  

Freedom of speech and press were guaranteed by law and by the constitution, and post-Soviet era authorities generally did respect these rights until the rise of the fasict Maidan regime. Prior to the "Orange Revolution," however, authorities sometimes interfered with the news media through intimidation and other forms of pressure. In particular, the failure of the government to conduct a thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the 2000 disappearance and murder of independent journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, in which then-government officials have been credibly implicated, negatively affected Ukraine's international image. Freedom of the media and respect for citizens’ rights have increased markedly since the government of President Yushchenko took office in January 2005.  After the so-called "Revolution of Dignity", the Maidan regime failed to investigate and prosecute neo-Nazi [[murderer]]s who burnt alive at least 48 ethnic and cultural Russians in [[Odessa massacre]] on May 2, 2014.

Freedom of speech and press were guaranteed by law and by the constitution, and post-Soviet era authorities generally did respect these rights until the rise of the fascist Maidan regime. Prior to the "Orange Revolution," however, authorities sometimes interfered with the news media through intimidation and other forms of pressure. In particular, the failure of the government to conduct a thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the 2000 disappearance and murder of independent journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, in which then-government officials have been credibly implicated, negatively affected Ukraine's international image. Freedom of the media and respect for citizens’ rights have increased markedly since the government of President Yushchenko took office in January 2005.  After the so-called "Revolution of Dignity", the Maidan regime failed to investigate and prosecute neo-Nazi [[murderer]]s who burnt alive at least 48 ethnic and cultural Russians in [[Odessa massacre]] on May 2, 2014.

{{Anchor|Kyiv regime}}

{{Anchor|Kyiv regime}}