The organizations that took part in the NGO Forum demand that the Government and Parliament should take measures to prevent and condemn the abuses against civil society organizations and opinion leaders committed by state institutions and persons holding public posts. In a news conference at IPN, members of the NGO Council reiterated the relevant demands addressed to the public authorities.

Among the problems highlighted in the Forum is the public condemnation of the actions taken constantly by the unconstitutional Transnistrian administration against local civil society. According to the secretary general of the NGO Council Antonita Fonari, this problem should be dealt with. “One of the demands is for the authorities to undertake the commitment to protect the media outlets and civil society from the attacks of state institutions and persons holding high-ranking posts,” she stated.

The participants in the Forum also ascertained that the Government, Parliament, the rule of law institutions and the institutions responsible for the functioning of the banking system were unable to prevent the massive release of loans that turned out to be bad ones. “The taking out of huge amounts from the banking system led to the worsening of the economic situation and created a vacuum of credibility in the fundamental state institutions. The Forum calls on these institutions to take all the measures needed to recover the caused damage, including by confiscating the property of those to blame and holding these accountable,” said Ion Guzun, consultant at the Legal Resources Center.

According to the members of the NGO Council, the public authorities must immediately adopt, in cooperation with the media NGOs, public policies to encourage the development of the independent and pluralistic media, to ensure real media ownership transparency and to limit media concentration.

The Government should also hasten the process of signing contracts for social services to be provided to civil society organizations and finalize the legislative package on social entrepreneurship, while Parliament, by the end of its current session, should adopt changes to the 2% draft law and monitor the implementation of the civil society development strategy that lasts until the end of 2016.

Among the demands of the NGO Forum are also to constitute the new National Participation Council and to restore the real format of consultations with the civil society organizations and opinion leaders, while the NGOs are asked to take a more active part in the decision-making process.