Oleksandr Omelchenko

Oleksandr Omelchenko Олександр Омельченко Oleksandr Omel'čenko
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Incumbent
Assumed office November 23, 2007[1]
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 (1938-08-09) (age 73) 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[2]
Children	Yaroslav (1966), Oleksandr (1968)[2]
Residence	Kiev, Ukraine
Occupation	Politician
Religion	Ukrainian Orthodox
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 now member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) elected on behalf of Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc^[3] but expelled from that fraction in September 2011.^[4] However he voluntary left the faction the next month.^[5] Omelchenko son Oleksandr was also a member of the Verkhovna Rada on an Our Ukraine ticket from 2002 till 2007.^[2]

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.^[6]

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 came third behind Leonid Chernovetsky (mayor-elect) and Vitali Klitschko.^[7]

During the 2007 parliamentary elections Omelchenko was elected as a Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc deputy to the Verkhovna Rada.^[2] He was expelled from that fraction in September 2011 because of supporting the Azarov Government.^[4]

See also

• Legal status and local government of Kiev
• Khozyain

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Official Verkhovna Rada website profile, Verkhovna Rada
2. ^ ^{a b c d} (Russian) Александр Омельченко, ЛІГА.net
3. ^ Events by themes: The Ukrainian parliament session 17.02.2009, UNIAN-photo service (February 17, 2009)
4. ^ ^{a b} People's Self-Defense faction: Twelve parliamentarians expelled from Our Ukraine, Kyiv Post (September 7, 2011)
5. ^ Omelchenko quits Yushchenko's party in parliament, Kyiv Post (October 4, 2011)
6. ^ Omelchenko overwhelmingly elected as mayor of Kyiv, The Ukrainian Weekly (6 June 1999)
7. ^ Kyiv gets first new mayor in decade, Kyiv Post (29 March 2006)

External links

• Oleksandr Omelchenko Bloc official website

Political offices
Preceded by Leonid Kosakivsky	Mayor of Kiev 1999–2006	Succeeded by Leonid Chernovetsky

Persondata
Name	Omelchenko, Oleksander
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1938-08-09
Place of birth	Zoziv, Lypovetskyi Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Date of death
Place of death