Anti-Corruption Alliance says Justice Ministry observes terms to implement actions from Threshold Country Program

The Justice Ministry has carried out 35 of 45 actions provided for in Moldova's Threshold Country Program (TCP) in the US Millennium Challenge Program. Other 8 are under way. The message was voiced by Elena Mocanu, the deputy Minister of Justice at Tuesday's sitting of the working group monitoring the TCP. Generally, the Justice Ministry observes the terms ascribed to implement the actions from TCO, said Mircea Esanu , the secretary of the Anti-Corruption Alliance, a team of NGOs engaged in monitoring the plan, Info-Prim Neo reports. The deputy Minister mentioned the approximation of the legal frame to European and world standards among the actions carried out for the last six months. They developed the draft regulation on the video and audio recording of court sessions. The drafts are considered by the Superior Council of Magistrature and judges. They have also developed the regulation on publishing the writs. Now they work jointly with the American program “For a Good Government” to revamp and endow with equipment 4 courts, namely in Rezina, Comrat, Ungheni and the Chisinau Court of Appeals. The working team goes on complaining the concept of adequately financing the judiciary has not been developed yet. It is coveted to insure the financial independence of the judiciary. Elena Mocanu says the draft law in which the Justice Ministry suggested that 1% of the budget incomes should be directed for the judiciary was not accepted by the Government. Lilia Carasciuc, the executive manager of Transparency International Moldova opines that transferring a certain percentage from the value of sequestered goods to finance the judiciary system could lead to abuses on the part of judges. The working group is formed of representatives of the Justice, Finances Ministry, of the Superior Council of Magistrature, of the US program “For a Good Government.” At their last sitting in September, they decided to establish the financial criteria to be employed in developing the budget of the judiciary system.