MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2019) The inauguration ceremony of new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled for Monday, with the new head of state, who is due to become the country's sixth leader, taking an oath, receiving a presidential certificate and getting a ceremonial mace.
According to Article 104 of the Ukrainian Constitution, the newly-elected president should assume the office no later than in thirty days after the official release of the election results. He takes the presidential oath by placing his hand on the cover of the Ukrainian Constitution. He also may take an oath by placing his hand on Peresopnytsia Gospel, a manuscript which has the first known example of old Ukrainian translation of the canonical texts.
The new president should say the following text:
"I, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, elected by the will of the people as the President of Ukraine, assuming this high office, do solemnly swear allegiance to Ukraine. I pledge with all my undertakings to protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, to provide for the good of the Motherland and the welfare of the Ukrainian people, to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, to abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, to exercise my duties in the interests of all compatriots, and to enhance the prestige of Ukraine in the world."
CEREMONIAL MEETING OF UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT
Ukrainian lawmakers set May 20 as the day of the inauguration of the incoming president.
The inauguration ceremony usually takes place in the parliament and is broadcast on public tv and other channels.
The meeting will be opened by the parliament speaker, Andriy Parubiy. After the national anthem and the naming of the distinguished guests at the event, the floor should be given to the Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Tatyana Slipachuk. She will again announce the results of the presidential vote.
Zelenskiy defeated outgoing President Petro Poroshenko in the runoff on April 21 with over 73 percent of votes. Poroshenko received less than 25 percent. During his presidential campaign, Zelenskiy vowed to eradicate Ukraine's corruption and end the conflict in the east of the country.
After that, the head of the Constitutional Court must report that there are no obstacles to Zelenskiy taking the presidential oath.
Then the new president will take the oath, sign the text of the oath and hand it over to the head of the Constitutional Court, who in his turn will pass the text of the oath to the parliament's chairman and announce Zelenskiy's assumption of the presidential post.
Then Zelenskiy will receive a certificate of the Ukrainian President from the CEC head. He is also due to receive the official symbols of power - the collar of the president, the official seal and the so-called bulawa, a ceremonial mace.
Zelenskiy must also present his inaugural speech in the parliament. After the speech, the ceremonial meeting is over, and the president can start performing his duties.
The preparations for the ceremony have faced a number of obstacles. Initially, the 41-year-old put forward May 19 as the potential date of his inauguration. However, Ukrainian lawmakers hesitated in backing the idea as many of them feared that with the early inauguration, the new president would be allowed to dissolve the parliament. Others said that May 19 coincided with the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repression and thus the inauguration had to be postponed.
Days ahead of the inauguration, Ukraine's ruling coalition broke up ahead of the meaningful event. Ukrainian People's Front party announced Friday that it was leaving the parliamentary coalition and thus blocked the possibility for the Ukrainian president to dissolve the convocation. Following the announcement, Parubiy said that the lawmakers had 30 days to form a new coalition.
Questions also arise about the invitees at the solemn ceremony. Traditionally the Ukrainian authorities invite previous presidents, as well as leaders of other countries and high-ranking diplomats. The list is coordinated with Zelenskiy and the members of the Constitutional Court.
Russia has not received the invitation so far, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, adding that there have been no invitations at any levels. In turn, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Kateryna Zelenko said Friday that Kiev had not sent an invitation to Russia.
At the same time, she said that presidents of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, and Hungary as well as European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic have confirmed their participation in the inauguration.
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump will not attend Zelenskiy's inauguration, despite having congratulated him earlier on the election victory. US Energy Secretary Rick Perry will lead a delegation to the ceremony.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not attend the event in Kiev. Instead, the ceremony will be joined by Vice President Fuat Oktay. Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip and Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan will also attend the ceremony.
