Zelensky approves Bill ‘preserving independence’ of Ukraine anti-corruption bodies
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Thousands of people turned up for a second day of protests over the anti-graft agencies in Kyiv on July 23, chanting “shame” and “veto the law”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Zelensky vows to retain anti-corruption agencies' independence after protests against a law increasing Prosecutor-General's power over them.
- European allies and Ukrainian analysts criticised the law, fearing it would undermine trust and Ukraine's EU aspirations amidst the war.
- Parliament will consider a new bill to restore agency independence, addressing concerns raised by the EU and domestic critics.
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KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approved draft legislation on July 24 that he said would restore the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agencies, reversing course after an outburst of public criticism and the first wartime street protests
Measures enacted earlier this week that established greater control by the prosecutor-general, a political appointee, over the two bodies had fuelled rare wartime protests and had thrown Kyiv’s EU bid into question.
Mr Zelensky said on X that he had approved the draft for submission to Parliament later in the day.
“It is important that we are maintaining unity. It is important that we are preserving independence. It is important that we respect the position of all Ukrainians,” he said.
Mr Zelensky, whose image as a tireless leader of the three-year-old war against Russia’s invasion has been tarnished by the controversy, said the text of the new Bill is “well-balanced”.
He did not give further details, saying only that it “guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, independence of anti-corruption agencies, and reliable protection...against any Russian influence”.
Critics had decried the measures putting a Zelensky-appointed prosecutor in control over the anti-corruption agencies, saying they went too far and looked like political pressure against the agencies.
Opposition lawmakers had collected enough signatures to register their own legislation to revoke the restrictive measures, which had been fast-tracked with help from Mr Zelensky’s ruling party.
It was not immediately clear how soon Parliament, which was meant to start its summer holiday this week, would consider either Bill.
In the first such demonstrations of the war, young people, activists and war veterans chanted “shame” and “veto the law”.
Ms Maryna Mykhalchuk, 26, who has lost friends in the war and plans to join the army soon, told Reuters: “It’s like a knife in the back, to be honest.”
Opposition lawmakers and European officials also called for reversal of the law, which Mr Zelensky signed overnight.
The law gives the prosecutor-general appointed by Mr Zelensky more power over two investigative anti-corruption agencies.
It was rushed through Parliament arrested two anti-corruption officials
In a joint statement, both agencies – the anti-corruption bureau Nabu and the specialised prosecutors Sapo – said they wanted their independence restored through legislation.
Parliament is expected to hold an emergency session next week to consider the new draft Bill from Mr Zelensky’s office, several lawmakers said.
Strongest criticism since war began
The law prompted some of Ukraine’s European allies to deliver their strongest criticism of Mr Zelensky’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her strong concern to Mr Zelensky and asked for an explanation, said a spokesman.
The European officials who had expressed strong criticism over the changes curbing the authority of the anti-corruption bodies on July 24 welcomed an earlier pledge by Mr Zelensky to retain their independence.
After decades of endemic corruption in Ukraine, cleaning up its government has been held up as the key condition for the country to join the EU, tap billions of dollars in foreign aid, and integrate more broadly with the West. The issue risked antagonising Kyiv’s most loyal allies at a time when it is trying to smooth over the relationship with the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has frequently criticised Mr Zelensky.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a post on X: “Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions are vital to its reform path. Restricting them would be a significant setback.”
Mr Benjamin Haddad, France’s European affairs minister, said it was not too late to reverse the decision.
Ukrainian political analysts said the legislation risked undermining society’s trust in Mr Zelensky during a critical stage of the war against Russia. Fierce fighting rages along more than 1,000km of the front line. Russian troops continue their grinding advance in the east and have stepped up near-daily attacks on Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones.
Hundreds of protesters, some clad in military uniforms, gathered in the city of Zaporizhzhia, close to the front line in the south-east, and demanded overturning the law with chants of “Ukraine is not Russia”.
Similar rallies took place in other major cities across the country.
The public’s European aspirations are vital to sustaining the war effort, said Kyiv-based analyst Valerii Pekar. “Only democracy and the European choice give us a chance to win,” he posted on Facebook. REUTERS
