Ticket #17/1
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you very much for giving me the floor to say some words about myself and the country I represent.
My name is Oleg Matvienko. I’m from Ukraine , a new sovereign state , which was proclaimed on August 24, 1991 by the Ukrainian Parliament. Our country consists of 24 regions and one Autonomous Republic , the Crimea.
The main body of the legislative power in Ukraine is the Parliament- the Supreme Rada of Ukraine . In June 1996 the Supreme Rada adopted the Constitution of Ukraine.
According to it Ukraine is a parliamentary republic with presidential governing.
The highest body of the state power is the Supreme Rada. It is one-chamber parliament , which is presided over by the Speaker . It consists of 450 national deputies of Ukraine. The head of the state is the President, who is elected for a five-year term.
The President is the highest official of the Ukrainian State vested with supreme executive authority.
He exercises it through the Government , the Cabinet of Ministers , which is the highest body of the executive power. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers is the Prime Minister , who is appointed by the President. Constitutional Court , the Supreme Court and the regional courts represent the judicial power.
Ukraine as an independent state has three national symbols: the National Flag of Ukraine , the National Emblem – the Trident , the National Anthem of Ukraine. The Ukrainian language has been granted an official status. The Constitution of Ukraine is the highest legal authority . I’m a citizen of Ukraine , and I’m proud of my country.
Speaking about Great Britain , one should mention that it is a democratic state , which is in Europe. But there are a lot of differences in the state system. It is a parliamentary monarchy . The power of the Queen is limited by the Parliament . It means that the Queen reigns but doesn’t rule. As in Ukraine, Parliament is the most important authority in Britain. But unlike Ukraine , it has two-chambers , and consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and the Monarch . In reality , the House of Commons is the only one of three , which has true power. The Monarch is expected to be politically neutral and has no power to make political decisions. The House of Commons has 650 elected deputies called Members of Parliament or MPs. The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker , who is appointed by the Government. The House of Lords has no real power. It acts rather as an advisory council. There are only three parties in Britain. They are the Conservative Party , the Labour Party and the Liberal Democratic Alliance. The party , which wins the most seats in the Parliament , forms the Government. Its leader becomes the Prime Minister. The second largest party forms the official Opposition , with its own leader and shadow cabinet. The Opposition has the duty to criticize government policies and to present its alternative programme.
That’s all I wanted to say in brief.
Thank you for your attention.