IMF rejects Poroshenko’s draft bill on Anti-Corruption Court
The International Monetary Fund believes that the bill to establish the Anti-Corruption Court (ACC), as submitted by President Petro Poroshenko, does not meet Ukraine’s obligation to the IMF, as stated in a letter from the head of the mission of the IMF in Ukraine, Ron van Roden, to the Presidential administration of Ukraine. The document, copies of which were sent to the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the parliament, and several ministers, was published by Yevropeyska Pravda.
In the letter, the representative of the fund categorically excludes the possibility that the IMF will approve the provisions of the presidential draft law on the Anti-Corruption Court.
"The President's submission of the draft law on the ACC should have been a step in the right direction (in the fight against corruption), however we have serious concerns on the draft that was submitted on December 22nd, as a number of its provisions are incompatible with Ukraine's obligations under the IMF program and also contradict the recommendations of the Venice Commission," the letter said.
The claims of the fund are divided into three groups and concern the procedures for selecting judges, the time of launch, and the jurisdiction of the court.
"We will not be ready to support the law on the ACC in its current form. The IMF is ready to help the Presidential administration review the law in order to bring it into line with the obligations of the Ukrainian authorities and the recommendations of the Venice Commission," the document says.
On December 23rd, President Petro Poroshenko submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada on the creation of the Anti-Corruption Court. A number of public organizations, in particular the Reanimation Package of Reform, the Center for Combating Corruption, and Transparency International, criticized the document's foundation and stated that the draft law does not align with the conclusions of the Venice Commission, and therefore have asked that it be withdrawn.
The adoption of the Anti-Corruption Court is one of the key conditions for continuing cooperation with the IMF.