‘The Outcome Must Be Guaranteed’ – Zelensky Tells Parliament to Correct Anti-Corruption Changes

July 30 ------ In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky assured his protesting public and disappointed international backers that he was going to fix the problem he caused by signing into law, earlier this month, a measure that took away the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Kyiv last week after Ukraine’s parliament passed a law that stripped the autonomy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), as legislators were worried that their agents were subject to possible Russian influence.

Faced with a domestic and international uproar, Zelensky proposed a draft law aimed at restoring that independence, while requiring polygraph tests for anti-corruption officials who have relatives in Russia. Speaking to journalists in Kyiv last Friday, Zelensky said the tests would be done every two years. He submitted the bill to parliament on July 24.

In his evening address, he underscored the urgency of the legislative fix, following the EU’s announcement this week that it would be freezing further aid to Kyiv until it fixed this apparent obstacle to democracy. His remarks came shortly after meetings with international partners in which he touchy subject was at the forefront.

“We spoke with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney about my bill that guarantees the proper functioning of the anti-corruption infrastructure and law enforcement agencies, Zelensky said. “It is very important to pass this law on Thursday. All of our partners support it. “And today we discussed it with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada [parliament] of Ukraine, with our government officials,” he continued. “The outcome must be guaranteed.”

Source: kyivpost.com