Oleksandr Omelchenko

Oleksandr Omelchenko
Олександр Омельченко
Oleksandr Omel'čenko
People's Deputy of Ukraine
In office
November 23, 2007[1] – 12 December 2012[2]
3rd Mayor of Kiev
In office
June 6, 1999 – March 26, 2006
Preceded by Leonid Kosakivskyi
Succeeded by Leonid Chernovetskyi
Personal details
Born August 9, 1938
Soviet Union Zoziv, Lypovetskyi Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality Ukrainian
Political party Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc[1]
Other political
affiliations		 Oleksandr Omelchenko Bloc
Spouse(s) Lyudmyla[3]
Children Yaroslav (1966), Oleksandr (1968)[3]
Residence Kiev, Ukraine
Occupation Politician
Religion Ukrainian Orthodox
Signature
Website http://rada.gov.ua

Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Omelchenko (Ukrainian: Олександр Олександрович Омельченко Oleksandr Oleksandrovyč Omel'čenko) became the mayor of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, in 1999. He lost his re-election bid in March 2006. Omelchenko is also a former member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).[3]

Omelchenko is the President of both the Association of the Cities of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Hockey Federation.

Political career

During the 1999 Kiev mayoral election, Omelchenko defeated a noted oligarch Hryhoriy Surkis, with 76 percent of the vote to Surkis's 16 percent. Omelchenko became the first elected mayor in Ukraine's modern history, with a platform highlighting his work in restoring much of Kiev's historic buildings and renovating parts of downtown Kiev.[4]

Omelchenko was a candidate in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, nominated by the Unity Party, which he formerly chaired. Omelchenko was the only candidate for President whose son was a deputy in the Ukrainian parliament. His program included the urgent withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Iraq. After the Orange Revolution, Omelchenko joined the People's Union "Our Ukraine" party but did not disband his old party.

While he was running for a third term as Mayor of Kiev in what was expected to be an easy victory in the March 2006 election, he was badly defeated and with 21% of the votes came third behind Leonid Chernovetsky (mayor-elect) and Vitali Klitschko.[5]

During the 2007 parliamentary elections Omelchenko was elected as an Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc deputy to the Verkhovna Rada.[3][6] He was expelled from that fraction in September 2011 because of supporting the Azarov Government.[7] However he voluntary left the faction the next month.[8] Omelchenko son Oleksandr was also a member of the Verkhovna Rada on an Our Ukraine ticket from 2002 till 2007.[3]

During the 2008 Kiev local election Omelchenko was again a candidate for the post of Mayor of Kiev but he only gained 2,53% of the votes this time; placing 6th after mayor-elect Chernovetsky.[9] His Oleksandr Omelchenko Bloc won only 2,26% and no seats in the Kiev City Council.[10][11]

In the 2012 parliamentary elections Omelchenko at first intended to attempt to be re-elected into parliament in single-member districts number 220 situated in Kiev; but he withdrew from the elections.[12]

During the 2014 Kiev local election Omelchenko was again a candidate for the post of Mayor of Kiev again as a candidate of the Unity Party.[13][14] He finished 4th in this election with 6.1% of the votes (winner Vitali Klitschko received 56.7%).[15] Unity won 3.3% of the votes and 2 seats in the Kiev City Council; including a seat for Omelchenko.[16][17]

Omelchenko did not participate in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[18]

Honours and awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Official Verkhovna Rada website profile, Verkhovna Rada
  2. ↑ You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours, The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 (Russian) Александр Омельченко, ЛІГА.net
  4. ↑ Omelchenko overwhelmingly elected as mayor of Kyiv, The Ukrainian Weekly (6 June 1999)
  5. ↑ Kyiv gets first new mayor in decade, Kyiv Post (29 March 2006)
  6. ↑ Events by themes: The Ukrainian parliament session 17.02.2009, UNIAN-photo service (February 17, 2009)
  7. ↑ People's Self-Defense faction: Twelve parliamentarians expelled from Our Ukraine, Kyiv Post (September 7, 2011)
  8. ↑ Omelchenko quits Yushchenko's party in parliament, Kyiv Post (October 4, 2011)
  9. ↑ (Ukrainian) By TEC received the results of voting in the elections of Kyiv mayor 1026 (100%) stations, Televiziyna Sluzhba Novyn (May 29, 2008)
  10. ↑ KYIV ELECTION COMMISSION PUBLISHES FINAL RESULTS OF ELECTRONIC CALCULATION OF VOTES ON ELECTIONS TO KYIV CITY COUNCIL, Interfax-Ukraine (May 28, 2008)
  11. ↑ Block Omelchenkowhich will storm Kyiv (in Ukrainian), Ukrayinska Pravda, April 9, 2008
  12. ↑ (Russian) Short bio, LIGA
  13. ↑ (Ukrainian) According to the Kyiv mayor office 19 candidates compete, Ukrayinska Pravda (5 April 2014)
  14. ↑ Омельченко выдвинули кандидатом в мэры Киева
  15. ↑ Klitschko officially announced as winner of Kyiv mayor election, Interfax-Ukraine (4 June 2014)
  16. ↑ Nine parties including Democratic Alliance win seats in Kyiv Council, Interfax-Ukraine (2 June 2014)
    (Ukrainian) In Kyivrada are 9 parties - official results, Ukrayinska Pravda (3 June 2014)
    (Ukrainian) 60% of the new Kyivrada is filled by UDAR, Ukrayinska Pravda (4 June 2014)
  17. ↑ (Ukrainian) Oleksandr Omelchenko biography at the Kiev City Council official website
  18. ↑ (Ukrainian) Alphabetical Index of candidates in 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Central Election Commission of Ukraine.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Leonid Kosakivsky
(as Speaker of Kiev City Council - Head of the Kiev City State Administration)		 Mayor of Kiev
1999 - 2006 		Succeeded by
Leonid Chernovetsky
Head of the Kiev City State Administration
1996 - 2006