The reform of justice and the fight against corruption must be the priority of the next government coalition. A call in this regard, addressed to the parties that are negotiating the next coalition, was launched on Tuesday, December 9, by 29 NGOs.
Vladislav Gribincea, head of the Center of Legal Resources and one of the signatories of the call, told a press conference at IPN that the reform of justice and the fight against corruption are vital for attracting foreign investments, economic growth and sustainable development of the country, as well an essential condition for Moldova's European integration.
“The efforts of the previous government for the justice reform and the fight against corruption, though unprecedented in Moldova, weren't completed and are seen by society as superficial or simulated. This view can be explained by the lack of political will to reform the judiciary and wipe out corruption, the system's resistance to reforms and inefficient communication with society. The next pro-European coalition must repair these mistakes”, Vladislav Gribincea read from the NGOs' call.
Ion Manole, head of the Promo-LEX association, said that regardless of the type of governing alliance and parties comprising it, civil society must put pressure for the intensification of the justice reform and the fight against corruption as urgent priorities.
The NGOs demand the swift adoption of the Law on the Prosecutor's Office, the draft proposed by the task group of the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office. They also request that the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office should be granted exclusive competence in investigating “big corruption” cases, while its number of prosecutors and assisting staff should be increased. The NGOs also stress the need to adopt the law regarding the financing of parties, a more detailed explanation of the way income, assets and interests declarations should be filled, and to optimize the juridical map by reducing the number of courts.
