KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday submitted a new bill that would restore the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse tensions following his approval earlier this week of a controversial law that weakened their autonomy.
The previous bill was seen as undermining the agencies’ independence and sparked a public outcry and protests, the first major demonstrations since the war began, as well as sharp criticism from the European Union.
Zelenskyy said parliament would review the new bill, which “guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine’s law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference.”
First Reactions
Ukraine’s two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskyy’s new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence.
The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it “as soon as possible” to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases.
The bill would replace the contentious law passed by lawmakers and approved by Zelenskyy earlier this week. Critics said it stripped Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work.
A Controversial Law
Zelenskyy initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling.
After Thursday’s U-turn, Zelenskyy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at “combating Russian influence,” including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers.
“The text is balanced,” Zelenskyy said. “The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence” of the anti-graft agencies.
The new draft underlines that the prosecutor general and his deputies cannot give orders to anti-graft agencies or interfere in their work.
Bowing To Pressure And Protests
The controversy surrounding the initial bill has threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine’s leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion. The protests haven’t called for Zelenskyy’s ouster, but they are the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war started in February 2022.