Zelensky dissolves parliament and calls a snap election

What does a new president do on his second day in office? On 21 May 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, answered by issuing a decree that ended the powers of the eighth-convocation Verkhovna Rada and appointed early parliamentary elections for 21 July 2019.

From inauguration to decree

The decree followed an inauguration on 20 May 2019, when Zelensky, a former comedian and reality television actor, was sworn in by the Verkhovna Rada as the sixth President of Ukraine. As reported at the time, he announced the dissolution of parliament and called a snap election in the same appearance. The decree issued on 21 May gave that announcement legal form.

The move had an immediate effect on the government. On 20 May, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said he would resign on Wednesday, in response to the new president's disbanding of parliament.

The timetable

The election date set by the decree, 21 July 2019, brought the vote forward. Background accounts written later note that the elections had originally been scheduled for the end of October.

The outcome came after the covered date. On 21 July 2019 the vote was held, and Zelensky's Servant of the People party won an outright majority, taking 254 seats.

A busy weekend for the country

The political events unfolded against a backdrop of other news. On 19 May 2019, Shakhtar Donetsk secured the Ukrainian football championship for 2018–2019 ahead of schedule, winning the title for the 12th time.

By the end of 21 May 2019, the sequence was set out in documents and announcements: an inauguration on 20 May, a prime minister preparing to step down, and a parliament whose term had been cut short, with voters due to return to the polls two months later.