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Ukraine's Poroshenko seeks 'compromise' on anti-corruption court

Petro Poroshenko is seeking a compromise on a draft law paving the way for a new anti-corruption court

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday urged lawmakers to find a compromise on a draft law paving the way for a new anti-corruption court, demanded by Kiev's Western allies. The bill, which in its current form has faced heavy criticism from the International Monetary Fund, provides for the creation of dedicated anti-corruption prosecution and investigative teams. On the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, Poroshenko told AFP that Ukrainian MPs were currently studying the draft law. "It is very important now that we all come together to reach a compromise in parliament," he said, adding that he would not modify the text despite IMF criticism. In a letter published by Ukrainian media, the IMF said in January that "several provisions (of the draft bill) are not consistent with the authorities' commitments". The IMF insists that the anti-corruption court should work in coordination with the newly founded National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and focus "solely on corruption-related cases". "In its current form, however, we would not be able to support the draft law," the Fund added. The bill has also come under fire from the local media and anti-corruption civil society groups, which have accused authorities in Kiev of seeking to trick their Western partners. Corruption was one of the reasons that led people to take to the streets during the 2013-2014 revolution, a series of bloody events that culminated with the ousting of Russia-backed President Viktor Yanoukovych. The new authorities who came to power after the revolution made some positive changes in reforming Ukraine, but Ukrainians as well as the country's Western allies still fear the interests of oligarchs and tycoons will come first. Ukraine was ranked 131st out of 176 countries in Transparency International's corruption perception index in 2016.