The President
Ukraine’s head of state is the President, elected by universal ballot for a five-year term. According to the Constitution the President is 'the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial indivisibility of Ukraine, the observance of the Constitution of Ukraine and human and citizens’ rights and freedoms' and commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces. The President has a range of powers, including the right to veto legislation passed by Parliament, apart from amendments to the Constitution (though Parliament can subsequently override such a veto by a two-thirds vote). The constitutional reform of December 2004, however, shifted the balance of power away from the President towards Parliament.
The current president is Viktor Yanukovych, elected in February 2010. His predecessors were Leonid Kravchuk (December 1991 - July 1994), Leonid Kuchma (July 1994 - November 1999, November 1999 - January 2005) and Viktor Yushchenko (January 2005 - February 2010).