Legal institutionaliztion of political parties in Ukraine

Abstract

The article considers the main stages of the legal institutionalization of political parties in Ukraine.  The peculiar features of the institutionalization of the parties in the countries of Western Europe and the countries of the Central-Eastern Europe have been demonstrated.

In accordance with the formation of the legal framework for the functioning of political parties, the main stages of their legal institutionalization have been identified. There are four of them, and namely: stage 1- 1991-1996 (June 28, 1996, the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine); stage 2 -  1996-2001 / 2002 (April 2001, the adoption of the Law "On Political Parties in Ukraine"; March 2002 witnessed the parliamentary elections that changed the structure of electoral competition in Ukraine); stage 3 - 2002–2014 / 2015 (as a result of the Revolution of Dignity, the actor structure of the party system changes, and in 2015 the law on state funding of parties was adopted); stage 4 - starting with 2015.

The basic laws governing the activities of political parties have been characterized, and namely: the Constitution of Ukraine, the Laws of Ukraine "On Political Parties in Ukraine", "On the Election of the People's Deputies of Ukraine", "On the Election of Deputies of the VerkhovnaRada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Local Councils and Rural, Settlement, City Heads","On the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine"," On the Civil Service"," On the Committees of the VerkhovnaRada of Ukraine"," On the Regulation of the VerkhovnaRada of Ukraine","On Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Preventing the Corruption in Ukraine" and some others.

Emphasis has been placed on the need to create an artificial legislative mechanism to strengthen the role of parties in social and political life. The main directions of adjustment of the Ukrainian legislation concerning the political parties have been pointed out in order to improve it, and namely: the change of electoral legislation, prohibition or legalization of regional parties, strengthening of parties' responsibility for non-compliance (lack of organizational structure, political party’s site, systematic non-participation in elections), ensuring internal party democracy.