The parliament has approved three follow-up bills aimed to facilitate the launch of an independent investigative unit focused on corruption involving high-ranking public officials. 

The ruling Democratic Party(DP) held a plenary session and passed the bills on Tuesday, the final day of the current extra parliamentary session. The main opposition United Future Party(UFP) did not participate in voting in protest of the bills. 

Designed to bypass opposition to the protracted implementation of the agency, the bills give the National Assembly speaker a mandate to swiftly form a recommendation committee to pick nominees for the new agency’s chief. Additionally, each negotiation body in the Assembly is required to recommend these committee members within a pre-set date. 

The UFP has been refusing to exercise its right to recommend two panel members, impeding the launch initially scheduled for last month.

Under the bills, the head of the prospective apparatus also becomes subject to a parliamentary confirmation hearing.