Hundreds of people protested in Kiev on Monday night after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new law passed by parliament that critics say threatens the independence of anti-corruption institutions. This was reported by DPA, BTA reports.
"In practice, two institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), become subordinate", said NABU head Semyon Kryvonos, quoted by Ukrainian media. He urged the president not to sign the law, which he said undermines Ukraine's efforts to join the European Union. However, Zelensky approved the law that evening.
Several hundred people, mostly young people, gathered in front of the presidential office in Kiev to call for a presidential veto. Chanting "Shame, shame!", the protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with the adopted changes. Similar demonstrations were held in other cities - Lviv, Odessa and Dnipro.
According to the European Commission, the decision is worrying. A Commission spokesperson stressed that NABU and SAP are key to reforms in Ukraine and must remain independent in order to effectively fight corruption. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos also stressed that the rule of law is the basis of EU membership negotiations.
The new law was adopted by a majority of 263 MEPs. Critics warn that it allows the Prosecutor General's Office to terminate investigations against high-ranking officials, as well as to take cases away from NABU and transfer them to other institutions.
A few days before the law was adopted, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), which reports directly to the president, took action against NABU officials, accusing them of collaborating with Russia.
Ukraine's anti-corruption system was created after pro-Western protests and the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. However, according to "Transparency International", the country remains among the most corrupt in Europe.
The Ukrainian branch of the organization criticized the law, saying that it undermines one of the most significant reforms of the last decade and damages the trust of international partners.
"Corruption is a problem in every country and a continuous battle must be waged against it," said the popular blogger and activist Igor Lachenkov, who called on people to protest through his social networks, with over 1.5 million followers.
"Ukraine has fewer resources than Russia. If we allow them to fall into the pockets of thieves, our chances of victory decrease. "Everything must go to the front," he added.
At the same time, critics often claim that anti-corruption agencies are a tool of Western influence on Ukraine's domestic politics, DPA recalls.