People's Deputy of Ukraine

People's Deputy of Ukraine

"Button-pushers" (implying to vote for others) is a chronic problem in Verkhovna Rada
Occupation
Activity sectors	Government
Description
Competencies	Legislation
Related jobs	Government official, President of Ukraine

A People's Deputy of Ukraine (Ukrainian: народний депутат України, narodnyi deputat Ukrayiny) is a member of parliament, legislator elected by a popular vote to the Verkhovna Rada (the parliament of Ukraine). Often People's Deputies of Ukraine are referred to simply as the "deputies". However it should be distinguished that regular deputies are members of regional and local councils, while people's deputies are elected to the national parliament, Verkhovna Rada. Prior to 1991, it was named the Congress of People's Deputies of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The main statutes that define the order of elections, rights and duties of the People's Deputies of Ukraine are outlined in Articles 76 - 81 of the Constitution of Ukraine. There are 450 people's deputies of Ukraine who are elected based on the general, equal and direct electoral right. The deputies may be appointed to various parliamentary positions such as the chairperson (speaker) of parliament, a head of a committee or a parliamentary faction, etc. Upon its appointment to the office each people's deputy of Ukraine receives a deputy mandate.

People's Deputies that ran for the parliament as self-nominated candidates will join factions if they wish.

Since 2016 (In line with new anti-corruption rules) all senior public officials (thus also people's deputies) must declare their wealth in an electronic database.

The People's Deputy of Ukraine may be elected a citizen of Ukraine who at the day of elections turned 21, has the right to vote, and resides within Ukraine for the last five (5) years. There were number of deputies who before being elected to parliament held the citizenship of Ukraine no more than two years. Among them were Dmytro Salamatin, Vadim Novinsky, and others.