Universal (act)
Universal (
parliamentary crisis
.
Poland and Lithuania
Universals were issued by the
Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the Commonwealth, a universal could be a letter from the king read publicly to address significant events or a legal act by the king related to economic, military or religious matters. Universals were also routinely used to call the szlachta to assemble for a Sejm, or to report for pospolite ruszenie (or common levy). Universals could also be issued by high officials of the Commonwealth, like hetmans commanding military forces or voievodes overseeing a voivodeship. One of the most significant universals was the Uniwersał Połaniecki issued by Tadeusz Kościuszko in 1794, which proclaimed the end of serfdom
.
Ukraine
In
act
issued by the authorities. The main purpose of the Universal was to inform the people of the important decisions taken by the authorities. Thus, Universal is sometimes used interchangeably with Declaration.
Cossack times
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Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, the Universals were issued by the
Polkovnyks
.
Ukraine People's Republic
In 1917-1918 four Universals were issued by
Central Council of Ukraine, the leading body of the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic
. These documents marked the main stages of the development of the nascent Ukrainian state, from the proclamation of its autonomy to the declaration of full independence.
Act number | Adaptation | Details |
---|---|---|
1 | 23 [O.S. 1917] June | Declared the announcement of Ukraine national autonomy as part of Russian Republic |
2 | 16 [O.S. 1917] July | Compromise with the Russian Provisional Government announcing that the final form of Ukraine autonomy will decide the Russian Constituent Assembly |
3 | 20 [O.S. 1917] November | Announced Ukrainian People's Republic: Ukraine does not completely break away from Russia |
4 | 22 [O.S. 1918] January | Declared independence of Ukraine |
Modern revival
During the
2006 Parliamentary crisis in Ukraine, the term was revived on the initiative of Viktor Yushchenko, a President of Ukraine. After difficult and, at times, tense negotiations between the President and several political forces representing the Parliamentary factions, all sides eventually agreed to a powersharing compromise that led to an expanded governmental coalition and agreed to sign a compromise document titled a Universal of National Unity
.
See also
- Act Zluky, a universal issued by the Directorate of UPR
References
- (in Ukrainian) ISBN 5-7702-0554-7
- (in Ukrainian) Ihor Sytyi, Hetman Universals and seal in the collection of Chernihiv Museum of History.
- Steven Lee Myers, Ukrainian Leader Strikes Deal With Critics, The New York Times, August 3, 2006