Work in pairs. Discuss the following: What do you know about the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada? Where is its seat? How many chambers does it have? How many deputies are there? What are the functions of the Verkhovna Rada? How often are Ukrainian MPs elected?
In the sentences below substitute the italicized elements with the words and word combinations from column a in exercise 1.
On the President’s proposal the Verkhovna Rada appoints top public officers, including the Prosecutor General. 2. Judges for long-lasting terms and one-third of the Constitutional Court are elected by the Verkhovna Rada. 3. The Ukrainian parliament gives formal approval to international treaties or cancels them. 4. In some cases the Verkhovna Rada may propose changes to the Constitution and vote for them. 5. The Ukrainian parliament takes an active part in the formulation of internal and foreign policies. 7. Decisions of the Verkhovna Rada are valid only when they are taken at the meetings that should be attended by all its members. 8. The Ukrainian parliament can impeach the President or appoint his elections, as well as the elections of local self-government bodies. 9. The Verkhovna Rada, within each period of parliament work between the two general elections, has the legal power if at least two-thirds of the constitutional overall number of deputies has been elected. 10. The members of the Ukrainian parliament cannot be involved in any for-profit or business activity, they cannot be members of any observation councils of an enterprise, either. 11. The Ukrainian parliamentarians, elected for five years, cannot hold any other representative authorization, they cannot be part of any commercial activity, either. 12. Only if the Ukrainian parliamentarians observe this non-involvement rule, they are guaranteed the deputy protection against law-enforcement bodies. 13. The Verkhovna Rada is composed of 450 elected deputies sitting in a one-chamber representative advisory assembly.
Work in pairs. Read the text and fill in the table below.
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is a unicameral representative deliberative assembly composed of 450 elected deputies. The term of office is five years. Deputies of Ukraine shall not have any other representative mandate, be in the civil service, hold any other paid offices, carry out other gainful or entrepreneurial activity, or be a member of the governing body or supervisory council of an enterprise or a profit-seeking organization. They are guaranteed parliamentary immunity. The Verkhovna Rada of each convocation is competent on the condition that no less than two-thirds of its constitutional composition has been elected. Decisions are taken exclusively at plenary meetings by voting in person. The Verkhovna Rada formulates domestic and foreign policies, introduces amendments to the Constitution, adopts laws, the State Budget and the Activity Program of the Cabinet, impeaches the President, calls elections of the President and local self-government bodies, ratifies and denounces international treaties, declares war and peace, exercises certain control functions, elects judges for permanent term and one-third of the Constitutional Court. Upon the submission by the President, the Verkhovna Rada appoints to office the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Head of the Security Service, the Head of the National Bank and the Prosecutor General. Upon the submission by the Prime Minister the Verkhovna Rada appoints other ministers and officials. The Verkhovna Rada dismisses the Prime Minister, the Cabinet members and the officials mentioned above.
Obligations of the Verkhovna Rada Limitations on the Verkhovna Rada
and the Deputies and the Deputies
They should: They should not:
Work in pairs. Use the table above and tell your partner about the duties and powers of the Verhovna Rada and its deputies. 6. Translate into English
А. Верховна Рада України (ВРУ) — однопалатний представницький орган, який має дорадчий характер і складається з чотирьохсот п’ятдесяти обраних народних депутатів. Термін повноважень - п’ять років. Народним депутатам гарантується депутатська недоторканність. ВРУ кожного скликання є повноважною за умови обрання не менш як двох третин від її конституційного складу. Рішення приймаються виключно на пленарних засіданнях шляхом особистого голосування. Народні депутати не можуть мати іншого представницького мандата, бути на державній службі, обіймати інші оплачувані посади, займатися іншою оплачуваною або підприємницькою діяльністю, входити до складу керівного органу чи наглядової ради підприємства або організації, що має на меті одержання прибутку. До повноважень Верховної Ради належать: внесення змін до Конституції; прийняття законів; затвердження Державного бюджету; визначення засад внутрішньої і зовнішньої політики; призначення виборів Президента; оголошення стану війни й укладення миру; усунення Президента з посади в порядку особливої процедури імпічменту. ВРУ здійснює призначення на посади та звільнення з посад, обирає суддів на постійний термін та третину складу Конституційного Суду.
Choose the correct verb form in the following sentences.
Deputies of Verkhovna Rada have not / do not have any other representative mandate.
Does /is this deputy in the civil service?
All deputies are having / have parliamentary immunity.
He holds / is holding a paid office now.
She does / is doing business while she is / is being a deputy in Verkhovna Rada.
The deputies are considering / consider Constitutional amendments all the plenary
meeting long.
Why is / does Verkhovna Rada of this convocation competent?
The deputies are taking / take the decision at the plenary meeting at the moment.
Is / does the Parliament approving / approve the state budget after its members have
discussed the domestic and foreign policies problems?
When do / are the deputies elect / electing judges for permanent term?
At home write everything you can about Verkhovna Rada. Use the text below and other texts in this Lesson (See also: Discursive Essays in the Recommendations on Creative Writing Work).