19:00 07.12.2020

Intl partners should participate in process of complete reboot of Ukraine's judiciary- Kuleba

2 min read
Intl partners should participate in process of complete reboot of Ukraine's judiciary- Kuleba

Ukraine's international partners, including the new U.S. administration, should be engaged in the process of a complete reboot of the Ukrainian judiciary, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an article for the Atlantic Council.

"Ukraine has no other choice than to fundamentally reform the judiciary, even when it requires tough political decisions and political will. President Zelensky's determination to do this is now backed by even stronger public demands. Ukraine's judiciary needs a complete reboot, and the country's international partners should also be engaged in the process to ensure tangible results and soothe any possible fears of mismanagement. Having the new U.S. administration weigh in and support these efforts would be most welcome and helpful," Kuleba wrote in an article published on the Atlantic Council website on Monday.

The Foreign Minister wrote that over the past six years there have been many ups and downs in Ukraine's fight against corruption.

"Progress was often followed by setbacks and new breakthroughs. The current situation is no exception. The opponents of change will not succeed in dismantling Ukraine's anti-corruption reforms, however hard they may try," he wrote.

Kuleba wrote that the arrogance of the latest attack related to the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, by which it practically canceled the requirement for public officials to submit electronic declarations about their property, speaks volumes.

"The reason is quite clear to me. The corrupt old guard was not happy with e-declarations from the very beginning. But as long as no punishment followed, they did not perceive e-declarations as posing any real danger," the minister wrote.

"This changed with President Zelensky's presidency. Soon after he was elected and his party gained a majority in the parliament, real powers were finally given to anti-corruption bodies. The article on illicit enrichment was restored to the Criminal Code. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine finally received the right to wiretap officials, something only traditional law enforcement bodies were previously allowed to do. The High Anti-Corruption Court began functioning, focused solely on high-level corruption cases. The first convictions soon followed," Kuleba wrote.

"At this point, vested interests did strike back against national interests. The old guard wants to drag Ukraine back to the times when they could siphon public money off with impunity and play Russian-style politics. We will not let them succeed," the foreign minister wrote.

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