Over 101K Ukrainians voted to select new Defense Ministry watchdog council following corruption scandals

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports that 101,215 citizens participated in online voting for the new Public Anti-Corruption Council on 7 January. This voting was initially scheduled for 26 December 2024 but was postponed due to technical issues with the digital platform, including website instability and user authentication errors.

The Public Anti-Corruption Council was established in early 2023 following significant scandals regarding inflated procurement prices within the Ministry of Defense. Reports revealed that egg prices in these contracts were 2.5 times higher than those in supermarkets, potatoes were procured at 2.6 times the market rate, and other products were, on average, 1.4 times more expensive. The new council is essential for reducing corruption risks within the ministry. 

The Ministry of Defense stated that voter verification was conducted through two official Ukrainian digital identity services – BankID and Diia.Signature – with a rapid response team monitoring the process. Each voter could select up to 15 representatives from 40 candidates.

Applicants undergo thorough screening to verify the absence of conflicts of interest and adherence to military registration requirements. 

“The candidate list often comprises public figures and legal professionals, as the Public Anti-Corruption Council involves significant work with various legal regulations, requiring a strong grasp of legal matters. A few professional journalists are also among the candidates,” said a Ukrainian journalist Volodymyr Fomichov.

The Ministry made special provisions for military personnel to participate through Starlink terminals, ensuring frontline service members could cast their votes.

The voting results are now under review by the Competition Commission, with official results expected within five business days.

The initial voting attempt on 26 December 2024 was canceled due to what the Ministry described as “internal technical issues” affecting website stability and user authentication. This led to the 7 January revote to “maintain trust in the process and ensure complete transparency.”

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