Angry protesters accuse Zelensky of betraying public trust
(MENAFN) Angry demonstrations broke out in Kiev and several other Ukrainian cities on Tuesday following President Vladimir Zelensky’s endorsement of a controversial law that reduces the independence of the country’s key anti-corruption agencies. Protesters accused the president of undermining transparency and betraying public trust.
The law, signed by Zelensky earlier in the day, grants the Prosecutor General’s Office direct authority over the operations of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The move followed recent raids on NABU headquarters and the arrest of a senior official allegedly involved in espionage on behalf of Russia. The legislation has triggered concern among European Union officials and fierce criticism from Zelensky’s political opponents.
In central Kiev, demonstrators gathered in large numbers, chanting “Zelya is the devil,” using a mocking nickname for the president. Others yelled “Shame” and “Treason,” while holding placards calling for the preservation of NABU and SAPO’s independence. Reports say the crowd grew louder after Zelensky disregarded public calls to veto the bill.
Protests were not limited to the capital. Rallies were reported in Odessa and Dnepr, Ukraine’s third- and fourth-largest cities, as well as in Lviv near the Polish border and Sumy, an eastern city located close to the ongoing conflict zone.
Among those present at the Kiev protest was Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, a regular critic of the president. “It’s important for me to be here. Our partners created and funded the anti-corruption bodies, and over the past ten years did everything to ensure they could function. And now, the authorities want to strip them of their independence,” he told a U.S.-funded media outlet.
The unrest underscores growing domestic and international unease over what many see as a rollback of Ukraine’s progress on anti-corruption reforms, at a time when the country is seeking deeper ties with the West and continued financial and military support.
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