Ukrainian parliament adopts government bill on principles of anti-corruption policy for 2014-2017

The Ukrainian parliament has adopted at second reading a law on anti-corruption strategy for 2014-2017 in the same wording it was passed at first reading.

A total of 284 out of the 298 MPs registered in the parliament's session hall on Tuesday voted for the law on the principles of anti-corruption policy in Ukraine for 2014-2017.

Head of the parliamentary committee on the fight against organized crime and corruption Viktor Chumak noted that no amendments had been made to this document before the second reading.

The bill was passed at first reading adopted on October 7.

One of the goals of the anti-corruption strategy is to create a system in Ukraine a system on the adoption of decisions on anti-corruption policy, based on the results of analysis of reliable data on corruption and the factors that lead to it.

The document envisages the creation of a special authorized body on fighting corruption, which will be responsible, in particular, for measures to establish and implement anti-corruption policies.

In addition, the law foresees the establishment of the transparent principles of funding elections, the activity of political parties, the elimination of corruption risks in the activities of elected bodies, and the tightening of public control over their activities.

According to the conclusions of the Venice Commission, amendments should be introduced to the electoral law that would regulate funding for election campaigns and define the requirements for current transparent party funding.

The strategy foresees the legislative consolidation of legal basics for lobbying for the legal democratic way of cooperation between civil society and the law-governed state and defining the legal forms and ways of lobbying.

The amendments to the laws on civil service and on self-government service are to be drawn up.

"Synchronously with the reformation of the civil service system the problem of conflict of interests, transparency of income and expenses of public servants are to be settled," reads the document.

The law on protection of persons who report the corruption to authorities and the law on check honesty of public servants.

The strategy foresees the necessity of reforming the salary system for public servants, increasing the level of salaries for them and canceling and restricting bonuses.

According to the document, the reformation of the laws in the state procurement area will continue with the purpose of removing corruption risks and introducing the transparent scheme for state procurement.

In the section concerning prevention of corruption in the court system and criminal justice agencies it is planned to amend the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian laws aimed at reformation of the judicial system, status of judges and Prosecutor General's Office on the basis of European standards, taking into account the conclusions of the Venice Commission.

According to the strategy the changes foresee the restriction of the volume of judge's immunity from prosecution, the defining of specifics of conducting checks of candidates for the posts of judges, the publication and monitoring of authenticity of declarations of income of judges and the restriction of powers of Prosecutor General's Office by the area of criminal justice.

Local police is to be created.

The anticorruption strategy is intended to remove corruption preconditions for doing business and forming business climate favorable for refusal from corruption practice.

The focus is made on deregulation of the economy and provision for free competition. It is planned to create the institution of business ombudsman who will present the interests of business in the government.

In the section concerning punishment for corruption it is foreseen that the special authorized agency for revealing and investigating into corruption acts is created and amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine defining the notion and list of corruption crimes are made.

In addition, the amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine are to make impossible the release of persons committed corruption crimes on bail.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine