ABSTRACT
By 2003, in the context of declining media freedom, opposition forces and some
political commentators regarded the Verkhovna Rada as the last bastion of
Ukrainian democracy, meaning that it was the most transparent and democratic
decision-maker and the only place where the opposition had a voice and
influence in politics (e.g. Zerkalo Nedeli, 5 April 2003). At the same time, the
large array of levers of presidential influence over the Rada led others to
conclude that the highest representative institution was no longer important (e.g.
Katsouris, interview 2003). So, by 2003, how far was the Verkhovna Rada an
autonomous body? Were its key internal institutions sufficiently developed to
facilitate independent behaviour and decision-making? Could the Rada resist
executive pressure? These were the key questions for parliamentary develop-
ment as the impending presidential elections raised the stakes for all political
actors in Ukraine.
