Ukraine will not receive billions of dollars of international aid if adopts the law on the Higher Anti-Corruption Court, which has not been agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while its economy will destabilize, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch believes.
“Failure to pass an IMF-compliant bill would erode Ukraine’s ability to fight corruption, prevent Ukraine from receiving billions of dollars in assistance, and destabilize the economy. Getting this right is essential for building a strong, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine,” she said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“Continuing Ukraine’s IMF program is necessary to secure further assistance that Ukraine needs. It is a signal to the world, including financial markets, where Ukraine is headed. But even more important: the Ukrainian people demand an anti-corruption court to root out the corruption that strangles economic growth, kills jobs, harms national security, and perpetuates poverty. It needs an effective anti-corruption court if it is going to establish rule of law, where no one is above the law, which is the kind of country the Ukrainian people deserve,” the official stated.
“I am confident this is fully understood by key officials in the Ukrainian government and members of the Rada, as well as by the Ukrainian people. I don’t think anyone in Ukraine is unaware that this is a key moment, and a key decision,” the ambassador said.
“We support the IMF’s determination of whether an anti-corruption court bill is compliant, and that includes on the composition of the Expert Panel. If a panel of genuine experts selected by reputable international organizations determines a candidate is inappropriate to serve on an anti-corruption court, that decision should matter. The opinion of such a panel should not easily be disregarded or overridden. This role of filtering out bad candidates should play a central role in the appointment process,” she said.
