The electoral legal framework of Moldova is in need of substantial reexamination and not only the Election Code, but the whole legislation in the field. And this reform should address not only the technical and political aspects, the ENEMO International Election Observation Mission recommended in a roundtable meeting on February 26, IPN reports.
The reform should be transparent and inclusive and the political parties, including those that are not represented in Parliament, civil society and the observers should be involved in reforming the legislative framework for elections, suggested ENEMO. Another recommendation is for the reform to be done long before the elections.
According to the head of the ENEMO Mission Dritan Taulla, unequal practices concerning the candidate registration processes were noticed in the elections of 2016 and 2019. Different standards were applied when registering candidates, challenges. The decisions on the website of the Central Election Commission (CEC) were placed with delay.
There was noticed an irrational connection between the criteria and decisions concerning the establishment of polling stations abroad. There were challenges from parties that wanted polling stations to be opened in places where Moldovan citizens were concentrated. According to ENEMO, the CEC should not only accept the proposals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, but should also put questions to the Ministry and take independent decisions.
Dritan Taulla noted there are no clear regulations concerning the replacement of the members of electoral bureaus on behalf of parties, these being substituted in the last moment without being trained. The ENEMO Mission considers electoral councils with a permanent legal status should be created.
CEC president Dorin Cimil said a working group was set up to formulate amendments to the electoral legislation. The bill will be first discussed with civil society and international experts and will be then presented to MPs.
Sweden’s Ambassador to Moldova Anna Lyberg stated that Sweden supported the development of the election system in Moldova and now sees that the elections are organized better. Transparency increased and the citizens can enjoy the electoral rights, but the electoral framework, primarily for the elections in Gagauzia, needs to be reviewed as there are inconsistencies and inaccuracies.
Pavel Postica, programs director at Promo-LEX Association, called on the international partners to continue to support the efforts made by representatives of civil society and of independent observers to monitor the elections internally and internationally. Pavel Postică noted that the findings of ENEMO do not differ much from those of the OSCE/ODIHR Observation Mission and this points to the high quality of the specialists involved in the ENEMO Mission in Moldova.
The European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) is an international network of 21 leading nonprofit, nonbiased and nongovernmental organizations from 17 countries.
