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What followed Zelensky's dissolution of parliament in Kyiv?
Summary
A look back at 24 May 2019, days after a new president took office, dissolved the Verkhovna Rada and called a snap election.
What was the political situation in Ukraine on 24 May 2019? It was defined by the events of the preceding days, when a new president took office and moved almost at once to reshape the legislature.
On 20 May 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian and reality television actor, was sworn in as the 6th President of Ukraine by the Verkhovna Rada. As reported at the time, he announced the dissolution of parliament and called a snap parliamentary election.
The decree
The decision was formalised the next day. On 21 May 2019, the president issued a decree ending the powers of the eighth-convocation Verkhovna Rada and set early elections for 21 July 2019. According to later background, the vote had originally been scheduled for the end of October, so the decree brought it forward by several months.
The government's response
On 20 May 2019, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman announced that he would resign on Wednesday, in response to the new president's disbanding of parliament. By 24 May 2019 the country was therefore heading into a campaign with the question of the government's future already raised.
Other business
Not all the news of that week was about the presidency. On 22 May 2019 the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new edition of the Ukrainian orthography, prepared by the Ukrainian National Commission on Orthography. Earlier, on 19 May 2019, Shakhtar Donetsk won the 2018–2019 Ukrainian football championship with matches to spare, taking the title for the 12th time.
What came later
The snap election was held on 21 July 2019, as the decree had set. According to later background, Zelensky's Servant of the People party won an outright majority of seats, with 254.
