7th Verkhovna Rada

The 7th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada was a session of the legislative branch of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Its composition was based on the results of the 2012 parliamentary election. Half of the seats in the parliament were apportioned between the five winning parties based on the popular vote, while the other half was apportioned between 4 parties and 44 independents between 225 constituencies throughout the country. It first met in the capital Kyiv on December 12, 2012, and ended its session on November 27, 2014, after the 8th Verkhovna Rada began its first session. Parliamentary work was virtually paralyzed the first months of 2013 because the opposition (UDAR, Fatherland, Freedom, others) blocked the podium and presidium seats on various days. According to a study conducted by Opora, deputies did not work for 53 days during the first hundred days in the 7th convocation. Major events December 2012 – February 2013 December 12, 2012. Election of presidium, establishing parliamentary factions, establishing and assigning of committee, PACE Ukraine delegation, other. December 13, 2012. Confirming on the Presidential appointment of Mykola Azarov as the Prime Minister of Ukraine February 5, 2013. Parliamentary 2nd session did not start as the "opposition" (UDAR, Fatherland, Freedom, others) blocked the podium (tribune) and presidium seats in the protest of Rybak's actions and it demanded an end to the practice of deputies voting for non-present colleagues. Parliament was unblocked on 22 February 2013 after procedural measures had been implemented to prevent multiple voting. February 8, 2013. The Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine deprived United Centre member Pavlo Baloha (at the time a member of the Party of Regions parliamentary faction) and independent Oleksandr Dombrovsky of their deputy seats. The Court had established that the results in single-member districts number 11 (Vinnytsia Oblast; Dombrovsky) and number 71 (Zakarpattia Oblast; Baloha) during the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election had been "unreliable".