CoE to participate in debates on Parties Bill

The Council of Europe (CoE) will organise in concert with Moldova’s Parliament an international conference in the second half of May, addressing the Political Parties Law. Details regarding the conference were discussed on Friday, April 6 at the meeting between Speaker Marian Lupu and Vladimir Ristovski, Special Representative of the Secretary General of CoE in Chisinau. According to the press office of the Parliament, particular attention will be paid to aspects concerning the financing of political parties in Moldova and the anticorruption element of the financing. Representatives of the CoE, Venice Commission, OSCE, MPs, experts, representatives of the civil society will be invited to the conference. The bill on political parties was worked out by Moldovan MPs and passed the first reading in late 2006. Subsequently, the document was sent for expertise to the Council of Europe. According to the special representative, the expertise will be soon sent back to the Moldovan Parliament. Also, Marian Lupu informed that Parliament started sending the reports on the implementation by the Moldovan Parliament of the recommendations on the expertises made by CoE for the draft laws passed in first reading. According to the speaker, these reports contain detailed information about the way the Parliament implements the recommendations of the Council of Europe. Vladimir Ristovski welcomed the actions of the Parliament, mentioning the fact that this conference will contribute to the legitimacy of the laws adopted in Parliament.