TheCity of Kyiv has a uniquelegal status compared to the otheradministrative subdivisions of Ukraine. The most significant difference is that the city is functionally independent of theoblast (province) in which it is located. That is, Kyiv is subordinated directly to the national-level branches of theGovernment of Ukraine, skipping the provincial level authorities ofKyiv Oblast, buthosting the administrative and infrastructure bodies for the latter.
The unique standing of the city's institutions of self-governance reflects the role of Kyiv as thecapital ofUkraine and is also based on the city's historicaladministrative status within theSoviet Union where Kyiv (spelt "Kiev" in Russian at the time) held the position of aCity ofrepublican subordination.
The head of the local government (theMayor of Kyiv) is elected, rather than appointed, and the municipal government has greater latitude in local affairs that elsewhere in Ukraine. ThePresident of Ukraine appoints theHead of Kyiv City Administration.
Currently, the legal status and the local government of Kyiv is regulated by the special provisions of theConstitution of Ukraine as well as a combination of Ukrainian laws, namely theLaw on the capital of Ukraine - Hero City Kyiv,[1][2][3] theLaw on the local state administration[4] and theLaw on local self-governance in Ukraine.[5]
Its special administrative status is recognized in theUkrainian Constitution inChapter IX: Territorial Structure of Ukraine and is governed in accordance with laws passed by Ukraine's parliament, theVerkhovna Rada.[6]
The scope and structure of the Kyiv local government and the status of the currentKyiv City Council is the subject of an ongoing bitter legal and political crisis. The oppositional parties that dominate the city after2012 parliamentary elections considered the City Council term of authority expired and effectively blocked attempts at its convening throughmass protest.[7][needs update]
Kyiv is a national-level subordinatedmunicipality (officially"acity with special status"), which means that the city is directly subordinated tonational-level government rather than to the provincial level authorities ofKyiv Oblast, which surrounds the city.
Of only two special status municipalities of national-level subordination in Ukraine (the other being the city ofSevastopol also administratively independent from the surroundingAutonomous Republic of Crimea) Kyiv's status somewhat differs from the status of Sevastopol as the latter's scope of local government is narrower.
Kyiv city itself is divided into administrativeraions (districts), which have their own units of central and local government withjurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs. Raions are the lowest level of the city's government although some of the raions include geographically distinct "villages" (e.g., surrounded by forest). As with other raions inside Ukrainian cities, Kyiv City Council is deputed to define the jurisdiction of its raions' authorities. However, onlyVerkhovna Rada (the parliament) may create, or liquidate the raions, or change their administrative boundaries.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2013) |
The popularly electedKyiv City Council is the city-level legislative body of Kyiv, with a broad scope of jurisdiction over the local issues. The council is chaired by theMayor of Kyiv, who is independently elected by a separate popular election.
Under theConstitution of Ukraine, the term of office of the heads of villages and towns and the council members of these villages and towns is five years.[8]
Kyiv City State Administration is the national-level branch of theGovernment of Ukraine that administers[clarification needed]Kyiv, the capital ofUkraine — a "City with special status".[9]
ThePresident of Ukraine appoints the Head of the City State Administration. Traditionally, unlike other similar appointments in Ukraine, this appointment was purely formal, because theConstitutional Court of Ukraine ruled that the electedcity mayor was to be also appointed as the head of the City State Administration.[10] This provision is unique, as other similar appointments of the local administration chiefs throughout Ukraine are made by the agreement of the president and theprime pinister; only in Kyiv, the mayor or council chairperson may combine their elected position with the executive position in the local State Administration. However, this system was ended in 2010 when Parliament empowered the president to replace the mayor as head of the state administration which the person of the president's choosing.
The central executive power is also represented on the lowestraions level of city authority. There are State Administrations,Internal Affairs (police) Department and other executive bodies in each of Kyiv's raions.
Kyiv hosts most of the governing bodies ofKyiv Oblast (which are generally separate from the city government). Separately, until 2020, Kyiv also served as the administrative center of lower-levelKyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion (district) of Kyiv Oblast as the former was a purely suburban area lacking a distinct central settlement.Healthcare and other public services infrastructure of Kyiv Oblast and, formerly, Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion is also located primarily within the city of Kyiv.