Rocked By Demonstrations, President Zelenskyy Now Approves The Law On Strengthening The Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agency

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a bill that strengthens Ukraine's law enforcement system and the independence of anti-corruption agencies. The draft law will be submitted to parliament today.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, July 24, Zelenskyy said in X, the bill is balanced and upholds the independence of anti-corruption agencies, which were previously restrained by legislation passed earlier this week.

The law that curbs Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies has also drawn strong criticism from Western Ukrainian allies.

Earlier, opposition lawmakers and European officials on Wednesday, July 23, urged Kyiv to overturn a law signed by Zelenskyy on Tuesday, July 22.

The bill was immediately passed by parliament, a day after the security services arrested two anti-corruption officials for allegedly being linked to Russia.

In a televised address, Zelenskyy said the corruption eradication agencies known as the Prophet and the prosecutor's office known as the SAPO will continue to operate "but without any Russian influence".

"Everything must be cleaned up," he said as quoted by Reuters.

In the morning, the President of Ukraine met with officials, including the leaders of NABU and SAPO, and said he would unveil a new plan to eradicate corruption within two weeks.

"We heard the voices of the public," he wrote on Telegram.

"We all have common enemies of the Russian colonialists, and the protection of the Ukrainian state requires adequate law enforcement forces and anti-corruption systems, and therefore, a true sense of justice," Zelenskyy continued.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities on Tuesday night to protest, the first demonstration related to the war.

"This is nonsense from the Presidential Office," said Solomiia Telishevska, 20, a student in Kyiv on vacation, to Reuters.

"This is contrary to what we stand for and fight for, namely (joining) with the European Union," he continued.

The critics of the law said the government appeared to be trying to curb the work of anti-corruption agencies to protect officials.