**Ukraine’s Lawmakers Challenge Controversial Anti-Corruption Legislation**
Lawmakers in Ukraine have started collecting signatures to file a motion with the country’s Constitutional Court, challenging a recently passed law that strips independence from top anti-corruption institutions. The move comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed legislation on July 22 that grants the prosecutor general vast authority over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
**Protest and Controversy Surrounds Law**
The law, which was quickly passed by lawmakers and signed by President Zelensky on the same day, has sparked widespread protests in Kyiv and other cities. Critics argue that it is an attempt to dismantle Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure and undermine its efforts to join the European Union.
**Lawmaker Seeks Constitutional Review**
Member of parliament Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who belongs to the opposition Holos party, has stated that the only way to remedy the situation is to have the law declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. He claims that procedural rules were violated during the bill’s passage, making a constitutional challenge viable.
**Collecting Signatures for Constitutional Review**
To file a motion with the Constitutional Court, lawmakers must collect at least 45 signatures from members of parliament. Zhelezniak expressed confidence that this number can be reached and that international reaction to the law might help reverse it.
**Constitutional Implications**
If the Constitutional Court rules that the law violates constitutional principles, it can be struck down in part or in full. The court’s decision would have significant implications for Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts and its bid to join the European Union.
**International Reaction and Criticism**
The law has been met with criticism from international organizations, including the European Commission, as well as Ukrainian civil society groups and NGOs. They argue that it breaches multiple constitutional norms and undermines obligations made by Ukraine as part of its membership bid.
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