As in the previous debate on the bill to introduce the mixed-member electoral system staged by Parliament, the participants in the June 30 round of debates also stated differing opinions. Some said the authorities should take into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission concerning the modification of the electoral system and should abandon this initiative, while others said the decisions in the Republic of Moldova at all levels should be adopted in the interests of the people, not on instructions given from outside the county, IPN reports.
Chairwoman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Vitalia Pavlichenko said the PNL pleads for improving the current party-list proportional representation system. Particular things should be changed because everyone realizes the power of TV channels and who their owners are, the manipulations about the chances of parties, the practice of useless work and the donation of votes to political opponents. If the parliamentary alliance really wants the political class to be non-blackmailable, it should adopt the lustration law, annul the election threshold, etc.
Sergiu Coropceanu, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said all the decisions taken in Moldova at all levels should be in the interests of the people and should not be made on instructions coming from outside. The PSD considers the discredited political parties should take a step backward and allow the people to choose their representatives directly, outside party lists. “Given the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the fact that over 800,000 people signed in favor of the switchover to a uninominal voting system, the PSD requests the Democratic Party to reintroduce the bill to set up single-member constituencies in the agenda,” he said, noting that to achieve a broad consensus, the decision on the electoral system should be taken as a result of a national referendum.
Ex-president of the Constitutional Court Dumitru Pulbere said the Venice Commission’s recommendations are welcome and it is good that the authorities intend to implement them. According to him, the recommendations are more detailed than those made in 2014.
Political analyst Vitalii Andrievski said the technical issues mentioned by the Venice Commission can be resolved, but Parliament should not focus on the solving of the political problem. He considers the uninominal voting system should be introduced because most of the people pleaded for this and this is the broad consensus about which the Europeans and the Venice Commission spoke.
Director of the Market Economy Institute Roman Chirca stated that the opinions about the electoral system change are very different. There are persons who say the mixed-member electoral system is appropriate and should be introduced, but not now. The Moldovan voters are less educated and do not have political culture. That’s why we have the political class we have and no big changes will be brought about no matter what electoral system is used.
President of the Gagauz Community in Moldova Nicolai Terzi said political cruising depends not on the electoral system, but on political culture and this phenomenon should be combated. There is consensus among the people, not yet among the politicians, but consensus among the latter is probably not necessary. The authorities should take into account the European priorities, about which they speak, and the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
At the end of the debates that lasted for over three hours, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu said these will help adopt a good law that would ensure correct, transparent and democratic elections. “Some refused to take part in the debates and continue to be ‘noisy’ outside them, while the accusations that the discussions are simulated are at least disrespectful towards those who became involved in the debates,” he stated.
Representatives of a number of civil society organizations, who criticized the attempt to change the electoral system during protests, refused to take part in the public debates on the introduction of the mixed-member electoral system held by Parliament. In a statement, these said that since the recommendations of the Venice Commission are not respected, any discussion on the proposal to change the electoral system is illogical. The opposition parties “Platform Dignity and Truth” and “Action and Solidarity” also announced they will not take part in the debates.
During its plenary session on June 16, the Venice Commission adopted opinions that critically assess the draft law for Moldova’s electoral system for the election of Parliament. Following extensive public consultations with all relevant stakeholders, the joint opinion concluded that the proposed reform cannot be considered as having been adopted by broad consensus. It raises “significant concerns” including the risk that constituency members of parliament would be vulnerable to being influenced by business interests. Furthermore, “the responsibility vested with the Central Election Commission to establish single-mandate constituencies for the majoritarian component is based on vague criteria that pose a risk of political influence.
