To have functional electoral democracy, the Republic of Moldova needs an efficient, functional and correct legal framework. The new electoral system adopted last summer makes Moldova face many challenges before the election campaign prior to this autumn’s parliamentary elections, said participants in the international conference “Towards functional electoral democracy in the Republic of Moldova” held on April 18, IPN reports.
Petru Macovei, facilitator of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, said electoral democracy is very important in a state, but in Moldova this desideratum is misperceived. Moldova needs functional electoral legislation that would enable to hold free and fair elections and to offer equal chances to all the players that want to become involved in this political process.
Stephan Meuser, of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Romania and Moldova, said 2018 is a very important year for Moldova. Before the parliamentary elections, more challenges are witnessed in the process of organizing free and fair elections. The ensuring of political pluralism and equal conditions for all the election runners is very important. “The involvement of civil society in the decision-making process, including the electoral one, is essential for doing sustainable and efficient reforms and for ensuring a democratic and prosperous society,” stated Stephan Meuser.
According to Peter Michalko, Head of the EU Delegation in Chisinau, if the Republic of Moldova organizes free and fair elections, this will strengthen democracy in the country. The implementation of the mixed electoral system should be closely monitored, including the election campaign and the election day, so as to determine the level of democracy in the Republic of Moldova. “The implementation of the new electoral law will be an important component when assessing the political preconditions before disbursing each installment of the macro-financial assistance,” he stated.
Germany’s Ambassador to Moldova Julia Monar said the funding of political parties and of the election campaign is the biggest risk in the current electoral year. She spoke about her country’s experience in this regard, noting that the political parties in Germany are financed by the state and this is a beneficial thing.
