Latest news with #watchdogs
France 24
12 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Ukrainian parliament approves law restoring independence of anti-graft agencies
Ukraine 's parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill presented by President Volodymyr Zelensky restoring the independence of two of the country's key anti-corruption watchdogs, reversing his contentious move last week that curbed their power and brought an outcry. Last week's measure by Zelensky to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid in the nearly 3½-year all-out war. It's also an effort that enjoys broad public support. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who called last week's legislative changes 'a serious step back', welcomed approval of the bill, saying lawmakers had 'corrected last week's damaging vote'. 'Today's law restores key safeguards, but challenges remain,' Kos, who monitors the record of countries that are candidates to join the bloc, wrote on X. 'The EU supports (Ukrainian) citizens' demands for reform. Upholding fundamental values & fighting corruption must remain the priority.' The backlash against Zelensky's measures brought street protests across the country that were the first major demonstrations since Russia's full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. Though the protests didn't call for the president's removal, the controversy threatened to undermine public trust in their leaders at a critical time. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. There is also uncertainty over how much additional weaponry Ukraine's Western partners can provide and how quickly. The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International also criticised last week's legislation, saying it weakened one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Zelensky said his goal had been to speed up prolonged investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling in investigations, which he didn't detail. He said he had taken note of the protests and decided to present a new bill to parliament underscoring that the prosecutor general and his deputies cannot give orders to anti-graft agencies or interfere in their work. Lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, approved Zelensky's new proposal with 331 votes and nine abstentions on Thursday, official figures showed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian Parliament approves law ensuring independence of anti-graft watchdogs
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's Parliament has approved a bill tabled by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that restores the independence of two of the country's key anti-corruption watchdogs, reversing his contentious move last week that curbed their power and brought an outcry. Lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, approved Zelenskyy's new proposal with 331 votes and nine abstentions Thursday, official figures showed. Last week's measure by Zelenskyy to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor general prompted an outcry from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny. The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Ukrainian Parliament approves law ensuring independence of anti-graft watchdogs
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's Parliament has approved a bill tabled by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that restores the independence of two of the country's key anti-corruption watchdogs, reversing his contentious move last week that curbed their power and brought an outcry. Lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, approved Zelenskyy's new proposal with 331 votes and nine abstentions Thursday, official figures showed. Last week's measure by Zelenskyy to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor general prompted an outcry from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Protests in Ukraine as Zelenskyy approves law to weaken anti-corruption agencies
Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Ukraine, in the first major demonstrations against the government since Russia's 2022 invasion. The protests took place in opposition to a bill weakening the nation's anti-corruption watchdogs, which president Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into law late on Tuesday.
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
In the Trump Administration, Watchdogs Are Watching Their Backs
Even as President Trump fired a string of government watchdogs early in his second term, René L. Rocque, who investigates waste and abuse in the Education Department, decided to put her head down and keep doing her job. The department stonewalled her request for details about how the Trump administration's cuts were affecting students and teachers, but Ms. Rocque kept going. In May, she notified Congress that she was facing 'unreasonable denials and repeated delays.' The administration, it seems, was fed up. Within days, Mr. Trump ordered Ms. Rocque demoted and gave the job of acting inspector general to someone else. The message to thousands of workers in inspectors general offices was clear: Be careful what you choose to investigate or you might be out of a job. Mr. Trump has fired or demoted more than 20 inspectors general or acting inspectors general since he took office six months ago, hobbling offices that for years have served as a check on waste, fraud and abuse. The inspectors general fired by Mr. Trump identified more than $50 billion in waste and abuse in the 2024 fiscal year alone, according to a congressional report whose findings were confirmed by The New York Times. The watchdogs recovered nearly $15 billion through investigations, with another $35 billion in potential savings if agencies follow their recommendations. In nearly a dozen interviews with The Times, current and former staff members said there was a pervasive fear inside inspectors general offices that simply doing their jobs could get them fired. One former employee said the interim leader at his office was 'paralyzed with fear'; another said his office was nervous about going forward with investigations that could prompt political blowback; a third rattled off a list of agency staff members who had quit, jeopardizing investigations. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
