Ukraine’s Parliament approves law restoring independence of anti-graft watchdogs

Ukraine’s Parliament overwhelmingly approves a bill presented by President Volodymyr Zelensky that restores the independence of two of the country’s key anti-corruption watchdogs, reversing his contentious move last week that curbed their power and brought an outcry.

Last week’s measure by Zelensky to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny.

Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid in the nearly 3½-year all-out war. It’s also an effort that enjoys broad public support.

Zelensky says he signed the bill into law less than two hours after its approval — an unusually speedy procedure for legislation.

“It guarantees normal, independent work for anti-corruption bodies and all law enforcement agencies in our state,” Zelensky says of the new law. “A truly productive day with real impact for the people.”

The backlash against Zelensky’s measures brought street protests across the country, the first major demonstrations since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. Though the protests didn’t call for the president’s removal, the controversy threatened to undermine public trust in its leaders at a critical time.

Zelensky said his goal had been to speed up prolonged investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling in investigations, which he didn’t detail. He said he had taken note of the protests and decided to present a new bill to Parliament underscoring that the prosecutor general and his deputies cannot give orders to anti-graft agencies or interfere in their work.