New protests against Zelensky's crackdown on anti-graft agencies erupt in Kiev (VIDEO)
The rallies began last week after Zelensky signed legislation handing over the oversight of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) to the prosecutor general, claiming the agencies were under Russian influence.
Critics, however, have accused Zelensky of authoritarian tendencies, arguing that the move essentially eliminates the independence of agencies that have been investigating several high-profile corruption cases. Kiev's Western backers have also voiced discontent, warning they could reconsider aid to Ukraine if Zelensky's reforms are enacted. In the face of the backlash, Zelensky has agreed to restore the independence of the agencies.
Despite the about-turn, Ukrainians still rallied in Kiev on Sunday for peaceful protests, with many carrying signs reading 'Cringe', 'Give the military a vacation', 'The people are the power in Ukraine', and 'Why does the government steal people's money?'.
One sign reading 'I have a vacation too but I'm not a sucker' referred to discontent over a parliamentary recess that would have formally made it impossible to swiftly adopt any legislation. However, Ukrainian MPs said they will hold a session on Thursday to pass a law restoring the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
The protesters also expanded their demands, calling for the appointment of a director to the Economic Security Bureau (BEB). Kiev's backers have conditioned further economic aid on BEB reforms. The demonstrators also demanded a full-scale reform of Ukraine's customs system, which is also widely seen as a factor influencing the scale of Western aid and loans to Ukraine.
Commenting on the string of protests in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that neither NABU nor SAPO is really fighting corruption but are used by Kiev's backers as tools 'to control the flow of money coming to Ukraine from the West.'
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