The National Participation Council (CNP) sued the Government over non-transparency. According to the Council, the draft 2014 state budget law was included in the November 27 meeting of the Cabinet’s agenda without the document being made public and discussed with the people, IPN reports.

Council member Arcadie Barbarosie said the legislative process in the democratic systems is open to the media and the public opinion. Only when the Government’s acts and the way the budget is managed can be verified by anyone, while the laws, rules and decisions are open for discussion, are they considered transparent. This way the authorities do not have possibilities of acting abusively in order to satisfy their own interests.

Arcadie Barbarosie referred also to other decisions approved by the Government without respecting the law on decisional transparency. As a result, these decisions, including those on Banca de Economii and the concession of the Chisinau International Airport, had a negative impact on society.

CNP member Elena Terzi said the state budget has a global impact and all the citizens of Moldova represent interested sides in this case. The consultation process should be multilateral and transparent. “We cannot tolerate such an attitude anymore,” she stated.

CNP vice president Antonina Fonari said the Council wants to set a precedent when an organization sues the Government for non-transparency. The CNP demands that the executive should remove the item from the agenda, ensure immediate access to the full text of the bill by publishing it and should hold public consultations on the draft budget law.