A reception honoring Ukraine’s Constitution Day was held at the Embassy of Ukraine

June 26, 2008 – Ukrainian diplomats, representatives of Ukrainian-American Bar Association (UABA) and Ukrainian community in Washington DC gathered at the Embassy to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Ukraine’s Constitution.

H.E. Ambassador Oleh Shamshur addressed the audience with the opening remarks stating that the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine on June 28, 1996 had been a history-making event. This act, he said, was a final step in transforming Ukraine from the constituent part of the former Soviet Union into an independent state with its own political, financial and monetary systems, government structures, Armed Forces, cultural and educational institutions. The Constitution also laid the foundations for the civil society organizations and the multi-party system, provided the basic tenets for the protection of rights of the national minorities.

The second speaker Judge Bohdan A. Futey shared his memories about the preparation process of Ukraine’s constitution project and the legendary “constitutional night”. Judge Futey, in particularly, noted that the realities of political and civil developments of Ukraine at the time of the adoption of the Constitution significantly affected the content of the document, which has became the product of a political compromise. Under the conditions of a drastic and total break down of the previous political system, state structure and way of life, adoption of the Ukrainian Constitution of 1996 was a pivotal historical event. The new Constitution of Ukraine represented an important reaffirmation of country's independence and its commitment to a market economy. The text, which had been years in preparation, was the subject of heated parliamentary debate for many months. Its adoption represented a compromise between various political forces.

Vice-President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation John Hewko, who was also taking part in elaboration of Ukraine’s Constitution stated that the draft as prepared by the working group of the Constitutional Commission had features of an integral and consistent legal document. Mr.Hewko presented a photocopy of the very first constitutional draft prepared by the Commission to Ambassador Shamshur.