The adoption of the legislation on party funding transparency is an important step towards improving the electoral process in Moldova. Works is yet to be done to ensure the implementation of information technology, especially of the Electronic Register of Voters, and better access to elections for the people living in Transnistria, for persons with disabilities and for the Moldovans abroad.
The steps that need to be taken to improve the electoral process in Moldova are analyzed in the international conference “Parliamentary elections 2014: lessons learned and steps to be followed” that is taking place on March 23 and 24. The event was organized by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Central Election Commission (CEC), IPN reports.
Alfonso Zardi, head of the Democratic Institutions and Governance Department of the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Democracy, said that measures should be taken to make sure that the next elections are held in a correct and democratic way. “The democratic standards should not only be written, but should also be put into practice. The most difficult thing is to change the behavior of the politicians and voters. We, in the Council of Europe, consider that democracy is a process built by the state and the people. It is not a gift from God. This process must be open and the people must be continuously told why voting is important,” he stated.
Deputy Head of Parliament Liliana Palihovici said that a number of shortcomings were removed before the November 2014 elections. “We were recommended to implement the Electronic Register of Voters as soon as possible even if the first attempt was not successful. Now we have to work only to ensure the implementation of information technology. The election results show that these were free and that the state created all the conditions needed for the people to vote freely. We have yet to take steps to guarantee the right to vote of the Transnistrians. I think we must work further to strengthen the Electronic Register of Voters and to see how we can maximally implement information technology in this process so as to remove the suspicions concerning voter counting and registration,” she stated.
Minister of Justice Vladimir Grosu said that every time elections are held in Moldova, the standards increase. “It was established that the people’s will in the 2014 elections wasn’t altered despite the committed violations. Communication with the Moldovans abroad must be improved and the Electronic Register must be implemented in relation to all the people,” he stated.
Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Permanent Representative in Moldova, said the UNDP is ready to cooperate with the CEC and civil society in the ensuring of the right to vote of the people with disabilities. She noted that the adoption of legislation on party funding is an important step.
CEC president Iurie Ciocan said that half of the practices used in the November 30 elections were new. For the first time the functionaries were trained and the logistics were standardized. There was implemented a new paradigm for managing the voter rolls - by the CEC. The authorities didn’t yet ensure the best communication with the people, but solutions would be suggested to improve this process.
Within workshops as part of the conference, national and foreign experts will discuss the role of the mass media in the electoral process, information technology, observance of human rights, equality of chances between women and men, etc.
