A group of activists called “The Article 2 Initiative” (a reference to the Constitutional article that enshrines popular sovereignty and prohibits usurpation) is demanding that Central Electoral Commission members and Constitutional Court judges resign or be dismissed, as general local elections approach and the eventuality of snap parliamentary elections seems more and more likely.
“Considering the abusive behavior of the current makeup of the Constitutional Court, which has become an active political player in blatant violation of the Constitutional boundaries, and also considering that most CEC members were delegated by parties that are not represented in Parliament anymore”, The Article 2 Initiative believes “the two institutions that are instrumental to the organization and conducting of elections are not up to the task of ensuring free and fair elections”.
“Parliamentary parties have a moral and political duty to make everything possible to create the necessary framework for a free and fair election, regardless of whether they are able to reach an understanding on a governing coalition or not. Any refusal of the parties declaring themselves in opposition to the current government to agree on creating conditions for free and fair elections can only be regarded as serving the interests of the Democratic Parliament”, Stella Jantuan, the former Democratic lawmaker and a member of the Initiative, read out from a statement during a press conference.
Political pundit Alexei Tulbure remarked that Parliament remains unfunctional despite more than two months passing since the elections. The outcome of the elections, Tulbure says, shows that most Moldovans are for a regime change, with two professedly anti-oligarchic forces, the Socialists and the bloc ACUM, garnering a theoretical combined majority. In his opinion, the two entities had an obligation to sit at the negotiating table to discuss de-oligarchization, de-politicization of state institutions, and creation of minimal conditions for free and fair elections; yet little has been done to this effect.
Ștefan Gligor, public policy expert, accused the Constitutional Court of being in cahoots with the Democrats. On April 26, the Court ruled that the voting system may not be changed before snap elections, effectively undoing a major objective on the potential Socialist-ACUM agenda, which sought to expeditiously replace the controversial mixed system that seems to advantage the Democrats. “The Constitutional Court is no longer an authority. It has long since exceeded its Constitutional powers, crafting legislation in substitution of Parliament and thus being complicit to usurpation of power in Moldova”, stated Ștefan Gligor.
Political analyst Victor Ciobanu suggested that the rules of play even under the current system could be better guaranteed if the CC and CEC were dismissed by a Socialist-ACUM vote before snap elections are held. However, Ciobanu says the ball is now in the Socialists’ court.
“We continue to believe that the bloc ACUM and the PSRM should agree on this one major thing – create a proper environment for free and fair elections”, said Valeriu Pașa, member of the WatchDog Community NGO.
