Ivan Plyushch

Ivan Plyushch
Secretary of the Security and Defense Council
In office May 12, 2007 – November 26, 2007
President	Viktor Yushchenko
Preceded by	Vitaliy Haiduk
Succeeded by	Raisa Bohatyryova
1st and 4th Chairman of Verkhovna Rada
In office February 1, 2000 – May 14, 2002
President	Leonid Kuchma
Preceded by	Oleksandr Tkachenko
Succeeded by	Volodymyr Lytvyn
In office December 5, 1991 – May 11, 1994
President	Leonid Kravchuk
Preceded by	Leonid Kravchuk
Succeeded by	Oleksandr Moroz
First Deputy Chairman of Verkhovna Rada
In office June 6, 1990 – December 5, 1991
Speaker	Leonid Kravchuk
Succeeded by	Vasyl Durdynets
In office 1985–1990
Speaker	Volodymyr Ivashko
Personal details
Born	September 11, 1941 Borzna, Chernihiv Oblast, Soviet Union
Died
Alma mater	National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Signature	Ivan Plyushch's signature

People's Deputy of Ukraine
1st convocation
May 15, 1990 – May 10, 1994
Elected as: Communist Party of Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, District No.221
2nd convocation
May 10, 1994 – May 12, 1998
Elected as: Independent, Chernihiv Oblast, District No.445
3rd convocation
May 12, 1998 – May 14, 2002
Elected as: People's Democratic Party, No.3
4th convocation
May 14, 2002 – May 25, 2006
Elected as: People's Democratic Party, Chernihiv Oblast, District No.209
6th convocation
November 23, 2007 – December 12, 2012
Elected as: Independent, No.23

Ivan Stepanovych Plyushch (Ukrainian: Іван Степанович Плющ; September 11, 1941 – June 25, 2014) was a Ukrainian politician. He thrice served as the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine), from July 9 to July 23, 1990 (acting), from December 5, 1991, to May 11, 1994, and from February 1, 2000, to May 14, 2002.

Biography

Ivan Plyushch was born on September 11, 1941, in Borzna in Chernihiv Oblast. After graduation in 1959 from Borzna Agricultural College he started his professional career as a mid-level worker, an agronomist, and the head of a division in a few state farms (Ukrainian: radhosp) and collective farms (Ukrainian: kolhosp) in Baryshivka Raion. Between 1967 and 1974 Plyushch was the head of Kirov collective farm and the head of Lenin state farm in Baryshivka Raion. Between 1975 and 1977 he was in Kiev working as a vice-deputy of a Kiev Oblast regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine. Between 1977 and 1979 Plyushch studied in Moscow at the Central Committee of the Communist Party Academy of Social Science. After his studies he continued working in Kiev in the divisions of the Communist Party of Kiev Oblast. In 1984 he became the vice-head, and later the head of Kiev Oblast Administration. In 1990 he was elected the head of Kiev Oblast Rada.

In 1990 Plyushch was elected to the Supreme Council of Ukraine where he has been working for four consecutive сonvocations. Thrice, between July 9, and July 23, 1990 (acting), between December 5, 1991, and May 11, 1994, and between February 1, 2000, and May 14, 2002, he served as the Chairman of the Supreme Council.

In 1994 Ivan Stepanovych participated in the presidential election. He won 1.29% votes, and took the 6th place out of 7 candidates. Leonid Kuchma was elected as the President in the election.

In the 2006 parliamentary elections, Plyushch was leading the electoral block named after him and Kostenko. The block won 1,87% of popular vote, short of the required 3% threshold, and obtained no seats in the parliament.

In May 2007 Plyushch was appointed secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council by President Viktor Yushchenko. Plyushch interpreted the Council's responsibilities to include economic, environmental and energy security as well as military matters. This made it a key instrument in the President's efforts to assert his authority over the government headed by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

In the 2007 parliamentary elections, Plyushch was elected as a candidate of the President's Our Ukraine bloc. He opposed a coalition with the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and he was dismissed as Security and Defence Council Secretary by the President in November 2007, shortly before Yanukovych was replaced as Prime Minister by Yulia Tymoshenko.

Plyushch became a creating member of Reforms for the Future in February 2011.

In the 2012 parliamentary elections Plyushch was not a candidate.

Plyushch died on June 25, 2014, at the age of 72 after a long battle with cancer.

Awards

• Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the State (2001)
• The Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 5th (1996), 4th (2007) and 3rd (2011) Cl.
• Cross of Ivan Mazepa (2010)

External links

• (Ukrainian) OpenUA: Ivan Plyushch

Political offices
Preceded by Oleksandr Tkachenko	Chairman of Verkhovna Rada 2000–2002	Succeeded by Volodymyr Lytvyn
Preceded by Leonid Kravchuk	Chairman of Verkhovna Rada 1991–1994	Succeeded by Oleksandr Moroz