Ukraine's Zelenskiy vetoes asset declaration law containing loophole

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday vetoed a parliamentary bill that sought to retain closed asset declarations for officials. Parliament voted last week to restore a declaration rule that was suspended after Russia's 2022 invasion as a security precaution, but - in an important loophole - to keep the disclosures closed to the public for another year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday vetoed a parliamentary bill that sought to retain closed asset declarations for officials.

Parliament voted last week to restore a declaration rule that was suspended after Russia's 2022 invasion as a security precaution, but - in an important loophole - to keep the disclosures closed to the public for another year. "The reason (for the veto) is clear: declarations must be fully revealed. Right now. Not in a year. The register must be opened right now," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

"This key amendment must be made before the law can be passed again. Swiftly," he said. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Telegram the parliament would vote on the bill again around Sept. 20.

A public petition asking Zelenskiy to veto the amended measure had rapidly gained tens of thousands of signatures, far above the required 25,000 needed for presidential consideration. Anti-graft campaigners and opposition lawmakers among others believe the bill in its current form defeats the primary purpose of the measure to hold officials accountable.

The International Monetary Fund had singled out the return of mandatory asset declarations as one of several benchmarks for paying out part of a $15.6 billion IMF assistance package. Fighting graft is also a requirement for Ukrainian accession to the European Union, and Ukraine's government has declared it a priority alongside repelling Russia's invasion.

 

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