al Security Council, but
significantly revamped and strengthened under President KUCHMA; the
NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on
domestic and international matters and advising the president; a
Presidential Administration that helps draft presidential edicts and
provides policy support to the president; and a Council of Regions
that serves as an advisory body created by President KUCHMA in
September 1994 that includes chairmen of the Kiev and Sevastopol city
councils and the chairmen of Oblast
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 26 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA
October 1999); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by
the president and approved by the People's Council
election results: Leonid D. KUCHMA elected president; percent of
vote-Leonid KUCHMA 52.15%, Leonid KRAVCHUK 45.06%

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council (before 1996 the
Supreme Council) or Narodna Rada (450 seats; under Ukraine's new
election law, half of the Rada's seats are allocated on a proportional
basis to those parties that gain 4% of the national electoral vote;
the other 225 members are elected by popular vote in single mandate
constituencies; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 March 1994 with repeat elections continuing
through December 1996 to fill empty seats (next to be held 29 March
1998)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-Communists 91, Rukh 22, Agrarians 18, Socialists 15, Republicans
11, Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists 5, Labor 5, Party of Democratic
Revival 4, Democrats 2, Social Democrats 2, Civil Congress 2,
Conservative Republicans 1, Party of Economic Revival of Crimea 1,
Christian Democrats 1, independents 225; note-most recent repeat
election held in April 1996 filling 422 of 450 seats as follows:
independents 238, Communist 95, Rukh 22, Agrarians 18, Socialist 15,
Republicans 11, Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists 5, Labor 5, Party
of Democratic Revival 4, Democratic Party of Ukraine 2, Social
Democrats 2, Civil Congress 2, Conservative Republicans 1, Party of
Economic Revival of Crimea 1, Christian Democrats 1, vacant 28 (in
February 1997 there were 35 vacant seats)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Ukraine [Petro
SYMONENKO]; Hromad [Pavlo LAZARENKO]; Ukrainian Popular Movement or
Rukh [Vyacheslav