Zelenskyy comments on Rada’s adopting draft law on oligarchs

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Rada's adoption of the draft law on oligarchs.

He published the relevant statement on social media.

"The Constitution stipulates that state power in Ukraine is exercised based on its division into legislative, executive, and judicial. But the fact of life in our country for many years was the existence of an oligarchic branch of power, a group of people who believed they were more important than legislators, government officials, or judges.

Every Ukrainian knows who these people, who are called oligarchs, are. Every Ukrainian knows how the oligarchs bought political influence and how they used politicians for their own interests. The state had no right to ignore this, never. Neither in the 2000s, nor in 2010, nor even more so now," Zelenskyy wrote.

He emphasizes that thanks to the anti-oligarchic law, Ukraine gets a historic chance to build a civilized and clean relationship between big business and the state.

"Yes, many politicians don't like it. Yes, they want to live as before, working for the oligarchs. Yes, there was a lot of pressure on our deputies, a lot of intrigues, and even blackmail. But the law was passed.

I'm grateful to every deputy who supported this law. 229 'for' from the Servant of the People party and 279 for in the parliament as a whole is the right signal. There will no longer be an oligarchic branch of power in Ukraine. Legislative, executive, and judicial only. And for the oligarchs, the only way is to become a pure business," the president stressed.

As reported by Rubryka, on September 23, the Verkhovna Rada passed Law № 5599 "On Prevention of Threats to National Security Related to Excessive Influence of Persons Who Have Significant Economic or Political Weight in Public Life (Oligarchs)."

To consider the amendments (more than 1,200 were made), the deputies applied a special procedure of article-by-article consideration provided for in Article 119 of the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The law was supported by 279 deputies. In particular, 229 members of the "Servant of the People" faction voted in favor. Ludmila Buimister became the only deputy from the Servant of the People party who voted against the law. She also voted against the document in the first reading.