In 1996, the Verkhovna Rada passed the first Constitution of the independent Ukraine at night between June 27 and 28.
This reinforced Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Constitution has the priority legal status. Laws and other acts are adopted based on the Constitution and are required to comply with it.
On December 8, 2004, the VR adopted laws to amend the Constitution and the then President Leonid Kuchma signed the amendments on that same day. They entailed a transfer from the presidential-parliamentary system to the parliamentary-presidential system; the right of a coalition of VR factions to form the government and the expansion of the VR term to 5 years.
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On September 30, 2010, the Constitutional Court recognized the 2004 political reform unconstitutional. Currently, another series of amendments is being drafted to the basic law of Ukraine.
On May 17, 2012, President Viktor Yanukovych established the Constitutional Assembly as a special supplementary body under the president to draft and prepare laws to amend the Constitution. Opposition representatives refused to participate in the Assembly.
On June 21, 2013, Assembly Chairman Leonid Kravchuk stated that the Constitutional Assembly is planning to finally approve the draft concept of Constitutional amendments by fall 2013.
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