Moldova risks being criticized by European partners, NGOs

Moldova may be criticized by the European partners if it adopts the bill on the reformation of the CCCEC and the bill on guaranteeing of equality without the amendments proposed by civil society, the head of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO) Sergiu Ostaf said, adding the authorities will be reproached when these laws will start to be implemented, Info-Prim Neo reports. He stated that the legislative body has two priorities for the May 25 sitting – to pass these two overdue laws in two readings so as to fulfill the Moldova –EU Action Plan. CReDO and the Moldova Human Rights Institute (IDOM) proposed a series of changes to the two bills. “The concerns expressed by civil society about the reformation of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime were taken into account only partially. The bill proposed for adoption does not include such important aspects as the procedure for dismissing the Center’s director or the punishment of third persons who would want to become involved in the institution’s work. We consider that the adoption of the strategy for reforming the CCCEC is very important,” Sergiu Ostaf said in a news conference. He stressed the importance of annually approving the future budget of the National Anticorruption Center and banning its reduction so as not to financially influence the Center’s employees. Sergiu Ostaf considers that the authorities intend to excessively diminish the Center’s autonomy after its reformation. In the same news conference, IDOM director Vanu Jereghi spoke about the bill on guaranteeing of equality, stressing two positive changes made to it by the authorities. “We welcome the modification of the law’s title and of the composition of the Council for the Prevention and Combating of Discrimination, which will be at least 50% constituted of representatives of specialized groups, including civil society,” he said, adding that the law needs yet to be refined. Vanu Jereghi stated that such phrases as the ‘state of health’, ‘sexual orientation’, ‘property’ and ‘social origin’ should be re-included in the bill as they were removed without a legal justification. “We consider that the law should empower the Council for the Prevention and Combating of Discrimination to determine its own budget. There are cases in Moldova when such councils cannot work de jure because they do not have money,” he said. CReDO and IDOM presented the proposals of civil society to the MPs, when they came together at the meetings of the parliamentary commissions.