Volodymyr Lytvyn

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Volodymyr Lytvyn

Volodymyr Mykhaylovych Lytvyn (Ukrainian: Володимир Михайлович Литвин) (b. April 9, 1956) is a Ukrainian politician and statesman. He has been the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine) since May 28, 2002. In 1994-1999 Lytvyn has been the aide to the President Leonid Kuchma and, later, the head of his office. Lytvyn is involved in the murder case of Georgiy Gongadze and the subsequent Cassette Scandal.

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[edit] Early biography and private life

Lytvyn was born in Sloboda-Romanivs'ka village in the Novohrad-Volyns'kyi Raion of Zhytomyrs'ka oblast'. His father, Mykhaylo Klymovych (b. 1930) and mother Ol'ga Andriyivna (b. 1929) were peasants. Lytvyn graduated from Kyiv University (Faculty of History) in 1978. He is married, his wife Tetyana Kostyantynivna (b. 1960) is an economist. Their daughter Olena (b. 1982) is a student and their son Ivan (b. 1989) is a schoolboy.

Lytvyn started his career as a political analyst within the Central Committee of Ukrainian SSR's Communist Party (a division of the CPSU).

Lytvyn is a correspondent member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Honored Worker of Sciences and Technology of Ukraine. However, in 2002 he was publicly and reasonably accused of violating copyrights of a Western scholar when writing his article to Zerkalo Nedeli newspaper.

Lytvyn's hobbies include reading, soccer and dalmatian dogs.

[edit] Major political career

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In 1994, Lytvyn became the aide to the newly-elected President Leonid Kuchma. In 1999, he was appointed the head of President's administration (office).

[edit] Lytvyn in Gongadze case and Cassette Scandal

As the head of Kuchma's office, Lytvyn became mentioned on the tapes of Mykola Melnychenko as an immediate participant of the conspiracy to abduct Georgiy Gongadze, a journalist who has disappeared and later was found beheaded in 2000.[citation needed]

Later Melnychenko claimed that Lytvyn had some "personal motives" to hate Gongadze. As an associate of Melnychenko explained, it was about "a relationship with a woman" (1)

[edit] Parliamentary career

In 2002 Lytvyn was elected to Verkhovna Rada as the head of the party bloc For United Ukraine ("Za edynu Ukrainu"). He became the Speaker of the legislature as a compromising figure among the parliamentary factions.

Lytvyn refused to take part in the presidential election of 2004 despite his significant political influence.

Lytvyn's brother, Mykola Lytvyn is the chief of Ukraine's Border Guard.

Lytvyn is known for his ironic political expressions. One of his best-known sentences is "I do not protest at forming an artificial majority in our parliament. But I want this majority to include every member of parliament".

[edit] Current

At the parliamentary elections on 26 March 2006 his Lytvyn's People's Bloc won 2.44 % of the popular vote and no seats. Lytvyn's allies (together with other parties) declared the voting results forged, filing a court suit and starting a public campaign. However, Lytvyn himself avoids press and shows deep disappointment since the results announced. Elected vice-chairman NAN.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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Preceded by:
Ivan Plyushch		 Chairman of Verkhovna Rada
2002–2006		 Succeeded by:
Oleksandr Moroz
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