After backlash, Zelensky submits new bill to restore anti-corruption agencies’ independence
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a new bill to the Verkhovna Rada aimed at restoring the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agencies.
According to RBC-Ukraine, the proposed legislation “effectively reverses the curtailment of powers previously imposed on anti-corruption bodies.”
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) welcomed the bill, saying it “restores all procedural powers and guarantees of independence for NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).” The agency noted that both institutions had taken part in drafting the legislation.
On July 22, Zelensky signed a law that effectively stripped NABU and SAPO of their independence, prompting large-scale protests in cities across Ukraine. E.U. officials also voiced concern over the legislation.
By the evening of July 23, Zelensky pledged to introduce a new bill in response to public outcry, saying it would “strengthen the independence of anti-corruption institutions.”
On the morning of July 24, a bill aimed at restoring NABU and SAPO’s independence was registered in parliament. It was signed by 48 lawmakers from across party lines.
