Ukrainian Parliament Cancels Immunity For Lawmakers

[Rogue Valley]

Ukrainian Parliament Cancels Immunity For Lawmakers

The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine.

9/3/19
KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament has voted in favor of cancelling immunity from prosecution for lawmakers, a step toward President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's pledge to stamp out corruption. In a vote on September 3, 373 deputies voted for the bill, while three abstained and 28 were absent. Zelenskiy, who attended the parliamentary session, downplayed fears that the move would expose lawmakers to persecution by those in power, saying before the vote that the cancellation of immunity would not mean that lawmakers would be responsible for political decisions. "I would like to dispel all the myths and political manipulations. The parliament members will preserve indemnity. They will not be responsible for their political decisions, voting or any political or public statements," Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy who has pledged to "break the system" in Ukrainian politics, won a presidential election on April 21. Three months later his Servant of the People party took a solid majority of 254 parliamentary seats in the 450-seat legislature, an unprecedented mandate that has set Zelenskiy up to carry out his campaign pledges.

Still, many Western analysts and even supporters of Zelenskiy have been waiting to see whether his parliamentary allies can push through key reforms to tackle problems like the country's rickety gas and electricity infrastructure, the nascent state of anti-corruption laws and agencies, and an oligarchic system that has all but dictated policy making for years. "The abolition of parliamentary immunity must come with reforms that will guarantee the independence of prosecutors and courts, which has historically been a problem in Ukraine," Brian Whitmore of the European Policy Center said. "So undoing is the right first step, but it should not be the last step. Law enforcement agencies should not be involved in politics, law enforcement agencies should be solely concerned with law enforcement," he added.

300 yes votes were necessary for passage and the measure passed with 373 yes votes. The people of Ukraine gave a mandate to president Volodmyr Zelenskyy and his Servant Of The People Party to battle official corruption which has been endemic here since Czarist times. Corrupt oligarchs would buy elections and gain immunity from prosecution as parliamentary MPs. That is no longer possible. This was a crucial first step in corruption reforms. With one exception (Interior Ministry - due to the war), all Cabinet level government officials have been sacked and replaced. These corruption reforms are targeted at the government and the court system. Massive foreign investment in Ukraine cannot transpire until these reforms are complete and investors feel comfortable bringing large amounts of money into the country. Such reforms are also necessary for EU integration. During 2016-2017 virtually every National Police patrol officer was fired and tens of thousands of new police recruits were trained by Western LEO agencies ... the California Highway Patrol, the Texas Rangers, NYPD, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Ukraine police have added a cyber-crimes division. The government has also created (2017) the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Their remit is to specifically investigate corruption, make arrests, and refer criminal corruption cases to the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) of Ukraine (2019). The police reforms must now extend to the criminal investigative division. The Finance Minister today said that she believes only one more loan from the IMF would be necessary to fully stabilize the economy. All IMF loans are being repaid on time. Operating reforms must also take place in numerous government ministries and all of this reform/upgrading must be accomplished while at war with Russia in the east. This is a lot for any country to have on its plate, but measurable progress is indeed being made. The Ukraine of today is in many respects vastly different than it was just five years ago. None of this either could have or would have happened if Ukraine was still tethered in the Russian orbit.