During consultations initiated by President Maia Sandu, representatives from 18 extra-parliamentary parties attended. The discussions focused on the issue of political corruption and the possible solutions that could be implemented. Participants also agreed to sign a joint declaration on combating political corruption in Moldova, IPN reports.
"Current issues were discussed - economic matters, justice reform, and local public administration. But most importantly, together with my colleagues and the leaders of the parties that participated in this event, we proposed signing a declaration to combat political corruption in Moldova. This is because the presidential elections and the referendum demonstrated that this scourge exists and must be fought", said Ion Sula, leader of the European Social Democratic Party, upon leaving the Presidency.
Mihai Ghimpu, honorary president of the Liberal Party, mentioned that the most pressing issues for citizens were discussed, such as security, welfare, and the fight against corruption. The politician expressed hope that such discussions would continue. The presidential elections and the referendum highlighted major problems, particularly Russia’s interference in the country’s internal affairs. "We must prepare to defend the Republic of Moldova and its independence. As a proposal, I suggested we sign a pact to combat corruption, signed by all parties, so we can see who supports corruption and who doesn’t", added the Liberal leader.
Stefan Gligor, president of the Party of Change, a member of the Together Bloc, said that there is a lack of clarity regarding the roles of law enforcement institutions, which is a problem. In his view, specialized prosecutors' offices require deep reform, a drastic reorganization, or perhaps even a political decision for their complete dissolution and the creation of new institutions in their place. "The architecture of the fight against corruption can be different. It can be adjusted, but the question is who are the people who make the decisions. Unfortunately, we have seen that very few competent, brave people who would take responsibility for this exist. The vast majority of prosecutors, as well as a large part of judges, are waiting for the parliamentary elections, hoping that PAS will leave, and someone else will come in to start over. We deeply regret that PAS has delayed real reforms", said Stefan Gligor.
Igor Munteanu, leader of the Coalition for Unity and Welfare, believes these consultations were a tentative exploration of the options for pro-European parties from the President. "We, the Coalition for Unity and Welfare, presented a series of shortcomings that President Maia Sandu and the party she represented in this election are facing. We talked about ways to suppress cases of political and electoral corruption. We reminded that all international monitoring reports mention the extensive use of administrative resources. And we proposed, as a legislative initiative, a project for punishing the use of administrative resources", said Igor Munteanu.
Arina Spataru, president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, considers corruption to be dangerous for national security. ALDE and representatives from other parties expressed their willingness to participate in adjusting the Electoral Code and the Penal Code.
Deputy Gaik Vartanean, representing the Party of the National Alternative Movement, said that the phenomenon of corruption must be eradicated as soon as possible, as it will influence and affect future elections, putting the entire democratic process at risk.
After the consultations, President Sandu's Cabinet chief, Adrian Balutel, addressed the press, stating that 18 out of the 21 invited parties had responded to the invitation. According to him, the discussions focused on combating political corruption and improving the institutions that fight and should fight corruption. He also mentioned that the proposals made during the consultations would be examined and integrated into the proposals for changes coming from the authorities.
