Updated 08:43 p.m. Moscow time
KIEV, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday passed the draft legislation aimed at vetting officials empowered to perform state or local self-government functions.
The bill was approved on a third try by 231 Verkhovna Rada lawmakers with the necessary minimum of 226 votes in favor of the legislation.
The measure is aimed specifically against officials who served under ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, and it is widely considered as a response to demands of Maidan activists to curb corruption in the echelons of power.
According to the law, those considered for posts in government agencies are subject to vetting. The law notes that those who held office from February 25, 2010 to February 22, 2014 have not been vetted.
Ukrainian officials believe that vetting should revive people's trust in the authorities, as well as reduce corruption to a minimum.
After the first attempt to pass the bill failed, lawmakers tried several times to resume its consideration but fell several votes short. Only the third attempt was successful. The document is to be signed by the president and, after its media publication, will come into effect.
Vetting is one of the main demands of Maidan activists. Their other demands stipulate that a candidate should not be among 100 richest people in Ukraine, occupy a senior post in the executive body, be a former Viktor Yanukovych administration member, participate in the acts of human rights violation and corruption.
Candidates should have more than five years experience on a senior position, more than seven years experience working for government agencies, except for the Interior Ministry, the Security Service and the Defense Ministry.
