President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced he will propose a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that includes all necessary norms for the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions.
He made this statement in his evening address, as reported by Ukrinform.
“I will propose a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that will be the response. It will ensure the strength of the rule of law system. And there will be no Russian influence or interference in the activities of law enforcement. And very importantly: all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place,” Zelensky said.
He added that on Wednesday, he held multiple meetings with government officials and representatives of law enforcement agencies.
“That’s actually how my day began – with a very detailed conversation involving the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the State Bureau of Investigation, and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General. It was important to me that each of them share their arguments and their perspective. It was important that they finally tell each other what had long been building up. I really value the agreement to work as a team – to continue collaborating, and to implement measures that can truly create a sense of unavoidable accountability, and therefore justice, in Ukraine,” the President said.
Zelensky noted that the heads of the institutions agreed to jointly propose a plan of action, outlining specific steps to reinforce the rule of law in Ukraine.
He emphasized that they heard what people are saying — in conversations, on the streets, and especially on social media — and took those concerns seriously.
“We’ve analyzed all the concerns, all the aspects of what needs to be changed and what needs to be stepped up… I strongly expect specific proposals of the legal norms that should make it happen from our group of heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, from the Prosecutor General of Ukraine,” Zelensky added.
He confirmed that the legislation would be a presidential bill, implemented as part of his broader national transformation strategy.
As reported, on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada passed Bill No. 12414, which reduces the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The same day, President Zelensky signed it into law.
On July 23, it was reported that some members of parliament had begun collecting signatures to challenge the law in Ukraine’s Constitutional Court.
Source: Zelensky to propose bill ensuring full independence for NABU, SAPO
