In Ukraine, the title Chief of Local State Administration (Ukrainian: Голова місцевої державної адміністрації) refers to the chief executive of each of the administrative divisions of Ukraine: oblast (region/province), raion (district) or city. Sometimes it is referred to as governor. In the Autonomous Republic of Crimea the position is called the Representative of President of Ukraine in Crimea. Beside the local state administration all local (regional, district, city) councils have their own executive committees.
The position derived from the institute of presidential representatives that was introduced during the presidency of Leonid Kravchuk in 1992. Before fall of the Soviet Union, regional leaders were the first secretaries of regional committees of the Communist Party of Ukraine which was a constituent part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
The chiefs of local state administrations are appointed by the President of Ukraine with the recommendation from the Prime Minister of Ukraine. The role and powers of the position are defined in the Chapter 2 (Articles 8 - 12) of the Law of Ukraine "On Local State Administration" (Law № 586-XIV, parliament, April 9, 1999). Candidates on the position of the chief of district state administration are recommended to the Prime Minister of Ukraine by the chiefs of the respected regional state administrations.
The appointment is terminated in case of violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and laws of Ukraine, loss of citizenship or discovery of dual citizenship, recognition of incompetency by a court, emigration for a residence abroad, gaining a court conviction by a legal force, violation of compatibility requirements, declaring no confidence by the two-thirds of the relevant council composition, filing a request for dismissal from office at own will. The appointment may also be terminated by the President of Ukraine in case of accepting the resignation of the Chief of Regional State Administration, petition of Prime Minister of Ukraine on the grounds prescribed by the legislation about the State Service, declaring no confidence by the majority of the relevant council composition, other circumstances foreseen by this or other laws of Ukraine, on initiative of the President of Ukraine. The authority of the chiefs of local state administrations is terminated also upon their death. In case of election of the new President of Ukraine the chiefs of local state administrations continue to exercise their powers until appointment of the new chiefs of local state administrations in established order.