KYIV – The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine fast-tracked the adoption of a bill on December 4 that reinstates an integral law designed to combat graft, safeguard financial transparency and hold public officials and lawmakers accountable regarding their asset holdings.
An uproar ensued as corruption watchdogs and think tanks criticized the bill for being too soft on Ukraine’s international commitments to fight graft on a systemic level as Kyiv faces a budget deficit of more than $2.7 billion for the end of the year and questions regarding whether a stalled multi-billion dollar lending program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be renewed.