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Why did Ukraine's parliament remove its speaker?
Summary
A look back at the vote that ended Dmytro Razumkov's time as head of the Verkhovna Rada.
Why did Ukraine's parliament dismiss its own speaker? On 7 October 2021, the Verkhovna Rada voted to remove Dmytro Razumkov from the post of speaker, ending his tenure as head of the legislature.
As reported at the time, the dismissal followed disagreements between Razumkov and President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as with the stance of Zelensky's ruling Servant of the People party on legislation. That legislation aimed to reduce the influence of Ukrainian oligarchs.
The setting
The vote took place in the 9th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, which meets in Kyiv and began its term on 29 August 2019. The chamber is Ukraine's unicameral parliament, and its speaker presides over its work.
The decision was taken by the Rada itself, which ruled on the resignation of its speaker on 7 October 2021. The dispute that preceded it was a public rift inside the governing camp, between the head of parliament and the president and party that dominated the chamber.
What the day showed
The removal of Razumkov placed the argument over measures to limit oligarchs' influence at the centre of the political arrangements in the Rada. The disagreement over that legislation was the reason given for the dismissal.
