The Higher Bodies of State Authority of Ukraine
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought Ukraine independence. Ukraine's first direct presidential election was held in 1991. In June 1996 Ukraine adopted a new constitution. Under it, the President is the head of the state and acts in its name. The President is elected by direct, majority vote for a term of five years (by secret ballot) and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The president is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister of Ukraine is appointed by the President of Ukraine with the consent of more than one-half of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Under the advice of the Prime Minister, the President appoints the Cabinet of Ministers (executive body). These appointments are subject to confirmation by the legislative body — the Verkhovna Rada. The Prime Minister is the head of the government and is responsible for carrying out its policies. The legislature (the Verkhovna Rada) consists of a single chamber of 450 deputies elected for four-year terms. The highest court is the Constitutional Court, which is charged with protecting and interpreting the constitution. The President, the legislature, and a conference of judges each appoint six of the court's 18 members. The Supreme Court is the highest appeals court for non-constitutional issues. The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the highest judicial body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction.
Discuss the following questions.
1. Who was the first President of Ukraine?
2. What kind of political system has Ukraine?
3. Is there a written constitution?
4. Who is the Prime Minister of Ukraine now?
5. When was the Constitution of Ukraine adopted?
Revise the information from the text and speak on the higher bodies of State Authority of Ukraine.
UNIT 5
Transcribe and memorise the following words:
Monarch, to interpret, constituency, a majority, peer, hereditary, legislation
Read, translate and retell the following text:
The political system of Great Britain
Great Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch — Queen Elizabeth II — as head of the state.
The political system of Great Britain has three branches: Parliament, which makes laws, the government, which „executes”lawsi.e.puts them into effect, and the law courts, which interpret laws. Although the Queen is officially head of all three branches, she has little direct power.
There is no written constitution in Great Britain. The main principles of British legislation are expressed in other documents, like "Magna Charta", "Habeas Corpus Act", "Bill of Rights", the Parliamentary Act which decided the position of the House of Lords, the Judicature Act, etc. The British legislation does not provide written guarantees or individual political rights.
Parliament in Great Britain exists since 1265 and is the eldest in the world. It has two parts: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 650 constituencies. They are known as MPs or Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister, or leader of the Government, is also an MP and usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons.
The Prime Minister is advised by the cabinet of about twenty other ministers. The Cabinet includes the ministers in charge of major government departments or ministries. Members of the House of Lords (peers) are not elected. About 70 percent of them are “hereditary peers” because their fathers were peers before them. The other 30 percent are “life peers” whose titles are not passed on to their children. They are officially appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Government, for various services to the nation.
