Pensioners’ Party calls for prison sentences, asset confiscation and a lifetime ban from public office for those convicted of corruption

The Pensioners’ Party supports the new version of the draft Criminal Code but says harsher penalties alone are not enough to end corruption and abuse of power. It wants illegally acquired assets confiscated in addition to prison sentences, and people convicted of corruption permanently barred from holding public office.

In its statement, the party calls for the toughest penalties for abuse of official position, especially when committed by public officeholders whose actions undermine citizens’ trust in state institutions. It says the proposed changes to the Criminal Code are a step in the right direction, but mechanisms are also needed to make the fight against corruption more effective and prevent officials involved in illegal activities from evading accountability.

One of its main demands is the expansion and immediate implementation of asset confiscation where officials cannot prove that their assets came from lawful sources. According to the Pensioners’ Party, the measure should cover not only assets held in an official’s name but also property and financial assets transferred to family members or close associates. This would prevent illegally acquired wealth from being hidden through other people.

The party proposes that confiscated funds be allocated to social protection and healthcare funds and used to improve the living standards of pensioners and other vulnerable groups. Its aim is for assets recovered from corrupt activities to be used directly to meet citizens’ social needs.

Another proposal calls for a lifetime ban from holding public office for anyone convicted of corruption by a final court ruling. The party says people who have abused the public’s trust and been found guilty should not return to positions from which they could again influence state institutions.

Beyond changes to the Criminal Code, the Pensioners’ Party is calling for a fundamental reform of the judiciary and prosecution service so that accountability for breaking the law is not determined by a person’s position or political affiliation. To that end, it proposes four specific measures in the justice system.

The first is vetting for judges and public prosecutors. According to the party, this should include regular, transparent scrutiny of assets and checks on professional integrity to identify and remove corrupt personnel from the judiciary and prosecution service.

As a second measure, the party calls for the complete depoliticization of the Judicial Council by changing how its members are selected. It says this would help prevent political and party influence over the selection and promotion of judges.

The third proposal concerns speeding up judicial proceedings in high-level corruption cases. The party wants mandatory deadlines to prevent proceedings from dragging on, cases from becoming time-barred and those responsible from escaping justice.

The fourth measure aims to strengthen anti-corruption institutions. The party calls for full financial, institutional and operational independence for the Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption and the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. It says that without independent and effective institutions, even the toughest legal provisions may fail to have the desired effect.

In closing, the Pensioners’ Party stresses that citizens deserve a just state where the law applies equally to everyone, regardless of public office or political affiliation. It says the fight against corruption must go beyond increasing penalties and be accompanied by reforms that ensure institutional accountability, transparency and the rule of law.