Despite efforts made by civil society and press, many people do not know who to vote for

Many people in Moldova have not yet decided why and who to vote for even if the press and civil society made additional efforts to educate the population, the head of the National Press Council Ludmila Andronic said in a roundtable meeting themed “Why do we need debates in the election campaign?”, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ludmila Andronic said the television channels in Moldova no more use the old patterns of televised debates based especially on pre-electoral monologue, not on direct confrontations between the election runners. She stated the radio and TV channels should be offered more freedom in organizing the debates, stressing the journalists should be more creative. The expert also said that before educating civic activism in people, they should be taught to be politically tolerant first. According to her, the Moldovan society is divided into groups according to political criteria. The people are not used to listening to each other and discussing without disputes and insults. ”The present election campaign is the first whose results will be determined mostly by the pressure exerted by the media, mainly the TV channels, including through debates. However, we cannot be sure that the result will be positive,” said political analyst Anatol Taranu. He also said that despite certain progress, the press in Moldova acts according to non-professional patterns in the election campaigns and outside them and is not able to educate the people. Speaking about the failed attempt to organize electoral debates between the leader of the government coalition Vlad Filat and the leader of the main Opposition party Vladimir Voronin, the analyst reproached both of the politicians. “Vlad Filat took a risky, but wise step when he invited Vladimir Voronin to debates, but he cannot employ this monumental refusal. In any democratic society, a politician who would turn down such an invitation would spoil his political carrier. But in Moldova this gesture will have practically no impact,” Taranu said. In this connection, communication expert Ludmila Andronic said the legislation deprives the Moldovan people of the possibility of weighing the capacities of the election contenders, especially of the candidates for presidency, in electoral debates. “It is a great minus for the Moldovan political culture,” she said.