For the referendum on the method of electing the head of state to be successful, given the failure in the referendum of September 2010, a very well planned campaign to convince the people will have to be carried out so that the people take part in the plebiscite and vote actually against their own convictions as most of the people want to choose the President themselves, considers the head of the Institute of Public Policy Arcadie Barbarosie. In an interview for Radio Free Europa, quoted by IPN, he said that 80%-85% of the country’s people are for the direct election of the head of state.
Arcadie Barbarosie stated that most of the participants in the negotiations on the formation of a governing coalition suggest amending the famous Article 78 of the Constitution, which now provides that the President is elected by the votes of 3/5 of the MPs, which is at least 61 votes. “The issue that is to be put up for referendum could generate heated debates in society and the referendum may be invalidated. They proposed a formula used in other parts too and surely it is not a local innovation – electing the head of state by 61 votes by the first attempt, by 57 votes by the second attempt and by 51 votes by the third attempt, when the President would be definitely elected, if a parliamentary coalition is formed, of course,” he said.
The director of the Institute of Public Policy noted that he does not like this formula for electing the head of state. It can help avoid the political crises in the future, but it is now proposed with the aim of securing the post of head of state for one of the three party leaders. “I think this is the reason why they suggested holding this referendum. They want not to avoid political crises in the future, but rather to make sure that they will get one of the three key state posts on the pretext of needing instruments for fighting corruption in this state, for example,” he said, noting that the chances of holding this referendum are great, but the risks are also big as the people could refuse to take part in it.
Arcadie Barbarosie also said that the lesson that should be learned from the referendum of 2010 is that the people will not take part in plebiscites if they are not well informed and convinced of the need to take part. Asked why the politicians chose to hold a referendum, not to amend the Constitution in Parliament, he stated that it is unreal to amend the supreme law by the votes of the MPs in the proposed formula because this wouldn’t be supported by the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists given that the three party leaders involved in the talks, especially one of them, pursue the goal of occupying a supreme post in the state and of having safe guarantees for themselves.
