Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill to restore the independence of anti-corruption bodies, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The Ukrainian leader approved the regulatory act shortly after deputies of the Verkhovna Rada unanimously adopted it with 331 votes "for" and not a single "against". In a post on Telegram, he indicated that the adoption of the bill "guarantees the absence of any external interference".
"Ukraine is a democracy – "there can be no doubt about it," Zelensky wrote.
The adoption of the legislative act repeals amendments to the legislation that would have given the Prosecutor General - who was appointed by Zelensky - the power to withdraw cases from anti-corruption bodies and re-appoint prosecutors, a step that critics say was taken by the president to protect his entourage from prosecution, Reuters notes.
In recent days, thousands of people in Kiev and other major cities in Ukraine have protested against the measure, which was passed by the votes of deputies from Zelensky's ruling party. Such outbursts of public discontent in Ukraine are rare since the war began.
Eradicating corruption and strengthening the rule of law are key requirements in Kiev's EU accession process, which Ukrainians see as crucial to their future, amid their battle to repel a Russian invasion, Reuters points out.