The year 2013 is visibly superior to the situation of 2012 in terms of strengthening of the corruption prevention instruments. Too much emphasis was put on the judicial system at a time when corruption is at its height in the public procurement system, director of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO) Sergiu Ostaf said in the program “Fabrika” on Publika TV channel, IPN reports.
According to Sergiu Ostaf, if, after the package of anticorruption laws is adopted, there are 500 or 1,000 persons who will not be able to justify their property, these persons will be condemned and this is the beneficial effect of purification of society. Progress was made in different areas in 2013, but no important results were achieved. Certain institutions were created and started work, but these are yet process indicators.
Politologist Vasile Croitoru said that five months of 2013 were wasted. “There was a five-month period of complete instability. From March 5 until May 29, we expected an election campaign rather than the re-formation of the new Government. Something has been done after June 1. Compared with 2012, there are certain accomplishments, but they do not meet the expectations of people who are tired of waiting. In a pre-electoral year, not much will be done to fight corruption. Our legislation meets the Community acquis. There are yet many risks that this fight will meet with opposition and it is very important to show political will,” he stated.
Expert of the Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption Mariana Kalughin said that laws for combating corruption were adopted in 2008, but they started to be applied in 2013. The National Integrity Commission started to work effectively. The most important provision from the package of anticorruption laws is that concerning the disciplinary punishment of judges. “When the Ministry of Justice presented the bill, it contained certain deficiencies. The bill on integrity testing was discussed a lot. I think the testing of integrity can be an efficient measure, but only in the Traffic Police,” she said.
Head of the Center of Initiatives and Public Authorities Monitoring Ion Dron underlined that all the anticorruption bills are opportunist in character as the authorities had to show before the Vilnius Summit that they do something. “The year started well, with searches at the Government and criminal cases started against ministers and officials of the Main State Tax Inspectorate. At yearend yet, there is only settling of accounts. We all witnessed shows of a bad taste. We focused on the judicial system, but the largest amounts of money are stolen from the state budget. We omitted the ministers and deputy ministers,” stated Ion Dron.
He added that until there is a list of judges who mustn’t be touched, the agitation around the fight against corruption causes harm only to those who work honestly. He called on the political class not to adopt laws and strategies with significant impact in an electoral year as such documents must be considered carefully and their future impact should be analyzed.
