 After death of incumbent President Mykola Livytskyi, Plaviuk became his successor, serving from December 8, 1989 to 1992.During a ceremonious session of the Verkhovna Rada on August 22, 1992 in Kyiv, Mykola Plaviuk formally ceded his authority and the activity of the UNR to the first President of independent Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuk, who was elected in 1991.In his declaration, Plaviuk proclaimed that the current Ukrainian state is the lawful successor to the Ukrainian People's Republic and a continuation of its authority and state traditions.