Igor Botan: Early elections are an optimal solution, referendum is sheer adventure

The Parliament of Moldova will become dissolvable after June 16 so that early legislative elections may take place in the country by the end of this year, said political analyst Igor Botan, the head of the Association for Participative Democracy ADEPT. The analyst told Info-Prim Neo that it is not obligatory to modify the Constitution before the possible early elections. The important thing is that the MPs stop boycotting the election of the head of state in Parliament. “The modification of the Constitution is not directly connected with the dissolution of the Parliament. It is yet advisable that article 78 be amended before dissolving Parliament. This is a normal suggestion and the Alliance for European Integration and the Communists Party should reach a compromise,” Botan said. The analyst underlined that the Moldovan authorities must take into account the Venice Commission's recommendation to observe the present Constitution. “The Venice Commission does not play and does not make an exception when a head of state asks,” Igor Botan said. “The politicians must be afraid of the voters, not of not being able to elect the President. The head of state may be elected or may not. What will happen then? We do not obey the Constitution because we consider that the probability is low?” Igor Botan said the problem arose when the MPs boycotted the election of the head of state, refusing to take part in the vote. “The Constitution should be modified, but it must have effect. All are patriots, but they act as they like, not as they should in order to ensure political stability and economic development,”he said. Asked what he thought about the government coalition's idea to hold a referendum on the modification of the procedure for electing the head of state, Igor Botan said a referendum is a sheer adventure. “The polls show 30% of the voters want early elections. The others say that if the Constitution says so, early elections must take place. There is no need to hold a consultative referendum. A referendum that was held in Romanian recently produced no results.”