Shapoval Volodymyr

Date of Birth: 25.05.1948

Place of Birth. Education. Born in Kyiv into a family of officials. In 1970, he graduated from the Law Faculty of the Kyiv State Taras Shevchenko University.

Career. Shapoval began his professional career at the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR - as a graduate student, junior researcher in the Department of International Law and Comparative Legal Science. Since 1976, he worked as a lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor in the Department of Public Law at the Kyiv University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. From 1986, he taught at the Law Faculty of Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University, holding the positions of associate professor, professor in the Department of Constitutional Law and head of the Department of Human Rights.

In September 1996, he was appointed as a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine by a decree of President Leonid Kuchma. In October 2002, Shapoval was elected by his colleagues as the Deputy Chairman of the Court at a special plenary session. His judgeship at the Constitutional Court ended in October 2005.

After his resignation, he maintained his connection with this institution: Viktor Yushchenko immediately appointed Shapoval as an employee in the presidential secretariat - as the representative of the head of state in the Constitutional Court. The former judge gained notoriety by defending Yushchenko's positions in the sessions of the Constitutional Court, which examined the constitutionality of the president's decree on the premature termination of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada of the V Congress in the spring of 2007.

The next step towards Shapoval's fame in the broader public was his appointment as a member of the renewed Central Election Commission on June 1, 2007, and his election as chairman of the CEC the very next day. The preparation, process, and result of the early parliamentary elections of 2007 depended on him and his ability to organize the work of this politically 'diverse' body.

On July 4, 2013, the parliament dismissed Shapoval at the initiative of President Viktor Yanukovych due to reaching the age of 65 from the position of member of the Central Election Commission. Mikhail Ohendovsky became his successor in the position of chairman of the CEC.

Views and Evaluations. Immediately after his appointment as chairman of the CEC, Shapoval stated: 'I do not aim to hold elections and leave. If I announce this, my colleagues will understand that I am a temporary person, that I will leave in three or four months, and an internal competition will begin in the CEC.' Nevertheless, the CEC could not avoid internal struggles, as 7 of its members were appointed from the parliamentary opposition and from the president (more precisely - Shapoval) and 8 were proposed by the then ruling coalition in the parliament, consisting of the Party of Regions, the Social Party, and the Communist Party. In a very short time, the coalition quota managed to accuse Shapoval of authoritarian leadership methods, and the chairman himself noted that the CEC began to work under very difficult conditions, as it was 'created as a result of certain political agreements.' If we start solving issues from the principle of 'us eight' from the beginning, there will be two commissions,' he emphasized. Nevertheless, the early elections were held under the 'leadership' of Shapoval.

In March 2008, he provoked the anger of representatives of another political wing - the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. This was caused by the 'inability' of the CEC chairman to hold a meeting of the commission where a replenishment of the BYuT faction in the Kyiv City Council with previously expelled deputies, who defected to the pro-majority party, should take place. Some members of the CEC went on sick leave, resulting in a 'break' of the quorum.

What illness has affected the members of the CEC is at the discretion of the doctors. However, it should not be forgotten that Shapoval is seen as a man of Yushchenko, and the presidential office, under the leadership of Viktor Baloga, has for some time, according to observers, blocked all attempts to oust the 'mayor of all Kyivans' Leonid Chernovetsky from the Kyiv throne.

Awards. Shapoval is a Doctor of Law, corresponding member of the Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine. He was awarded the Order 'For Merit' of the 3rd degree.

He is the author of a number of scientific works, textbooks, and monographs on issues of the rule of law, constitutional law. As a member of the working group of the Constitutional Commission, he was involved in the development of the draft constitution of Ukraine.

Family. Married, has a son and a daughter.

24.05.2022