Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vetoed a law on asset declarations for public officials after grassroots anti-corruption campaigners protested that the legislation delayed the disclosures by a year.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vetoed a law on asset declarations for public officials after grassroots anti-corruption campaigners protested that the legislation delayed the disclosures by a year.
The parliament in Kyiv last week approved the legislation that included the delay, prompting a public campaign that assailed the rules as lacking transparency. A petition urging Zelenskiy to reject the law was launched by an injured solider recovering in a military hospital who gathered the required 25,000 signatures in a few hours.
“Declarations must be fully revealed. Right now,” Zelenskiy said in a statement on social media. “Not in a year. The register must be opened right now.”
The presidential veto is a victory for anti-corruption activists in Kyiv, who have stepped up criticism in recent weeks of public corruption. Zelenskiy last week replaced his defense minister following allegations of graft in public procurement. Last month, he fired all of the military’s draft officers after accusations of sleaze had come to light.
Vitaliy Shabunin, the head of the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center, said the veto was essential to protect a tool used to monitor activities of public officials and a primary firewall against corruption.
“Zelenskiy’s veto of closed declarations is a pure victory of Ukrainian society,” Shabunin said on Facebook.
Ukraine adopted online asset declarations in 2016 among conditions set by the European Union for visa-free travel. The tool has been used widely by journalists investigating corruption in a country where graft has been a systemic problem.
Authorities froze access to the data after Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, citing security concerns. While Western donors, including the International Monetary Fund, demanded that the database and declaration submissions be restored, Ukrainian activists and journalists went further in insisting that the registry be opened fully.
Global donors who have championed Ukraine’s integration into Western institutions have taken a close look at corruption, an issue that is weighing on Zelenskiy. A poll published Monday showed that 78% of Ukrainians view him as directly responsible for corruption in the executive branch, including the cabinet and the regional military administration.
Zelenskiy’s officials have showcased recent cases involving corruption. Authorities last week froze the assets of tycoon and former Privatbank owner Igor Kolomoisky, a one-time ally of Zelenskiy, to ensure the potential confiscation of his property in a case of suspected fraud. The billionaire has been detained for 60 days under a “notice of suspicion” in the fraud case and remains in custody.
–With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski and Daryna Krasnolutska.
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