Volodymyr Lytvyn

In 1994, Lytvyn became the aide to the newly elected President Leonid Kuchma.[12] In 1999, he was appointed as the head of the Presidential Administration.

During the Cassette Scandal audiotapes were released on which Kuchma, Lytvyn and other top-level administration officials are allegedly heard discussing the need to silence Georgiy Gongadze for his online news reports about high-level corruption.[13] Gongadze's decapitated body was found in the suburbs of Kyiv in November 2000.[13] In 2000, Mykola Melnychenko released a secretly-taped recording allegedly of a conversation between Kuchma and Lytvyn in which the two discussed getting rid of Gongadze. Lytvyn is alleged to have said that Kuchma should "let loose [Interior Minister] Kravchenko to use alternative methods" on Gongadze. Lytvyn denied the allegation, saying that the tape was a fabrication. Independent experts who have analysed the tapes are divided as to their authenticity. Gongadze was found beheaded in a shallow grave in 2000. In 2005, Kravchenko was found dead with two bullets in his head. Official investigations concluded that he had committed suicide and that he had ordered Gongadze's murder. Lytvyn stated "The investigation confirmed my innocence in this case, despite the fact that efforts have been, are being and will be taken to make me practically the main person accused [of killing the journalist]".[14]

During the 2011—2013 trial of Oleksiy Pukach, Pukach claimed that (former) Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Lytvyn (at the time of the murder Kuchma's head of his Presidential Administration) had ordered the murder of Gongadze.[15][16]

Lytvyn meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in December 2008.

In 2002, Lytvyn was elected to Verkhovna Rada as the head of the party bloc For United Ukraine ("Za edynu Ukrainu"). He became the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (speaker) of the legislature as a compromising figure among the parliamentary factions.

Lytvyn refused to take part in the presidential election of 2004 despite his significant political influence.

Lytvyn's brother, Mykola Lytvyn was the chief of Ukraine's Border Guard.

Lytvyn is known for his ironic political expressions. One of his best-known sentences is "I do not protest at forming an artificial majority in our parliament. But I want this majority to include every member of parliament."

At the parliamentary elections on March 26, 2006, his Lytvyn's People's Bloc won 2.44% of the popular vote and no seats since it did not meet the 3 percent threshold. Lytvyn's allies (together with other parties) declared the voting results forged, filing a court suit and starting a public campaign. However, Lytvyn himself avoids press and shows deep disappointment since the results announced. Elected vice-chairman NAN.

In the early parliamentary election held on September 30, 2007, the Lytvyn Bloc (renamed from Lytvyn's People's Bloc) consisted of the People's Party and the Labour Party. The bloc placed fifth[17] with 20 out of 450 seats.

On December 6, 2009, Mykola Melnychenko, former bodyguard to Kuchma, accused Lytvyn of ordering the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000. A spokesperson for Lytvyn dismissed the claims as part of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election campaign.[18] During the election Lytvyn received 2,35% of the votes.[19]

Lytvyn took part in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election as a People's Party candidate in single-member districts number 65 (first-past-the-post wins a parliament seat) located in Narodychi Raion.[20][21] He won a parliamentary seat by winning this constituency.[22] Lytvyn did not join any parliamentary faction after taking his seat.[23]

In the 2014 parliamentary election Lytvyn was re-elected into parliament as an independent candidate in electoral district 65 located in Zviahel with 41.48% of the votes.[24] In parliament, he joined the parliamentary group People's Will until he was asked to leave it on 19 October 2017.[25]

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Lytvyn lost his parliamentary seat after losing his constituency.[26] He gained 25.65% of the votes, while the winner Dmytro Kostiuk of the Servant of the People party scored 35.73%.[27]

In March 2021 Lytvyn lost in the election for the rector of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, taking fourth place with a result of about 4% of the vote.[28] The next day he resigned as chairman of the supervisory board of this university.[29]