The participants in public hearings on the bill to annul the mixed electoral system and to restore the party-list proportional representation system that were staged by the Parliament’s legal commission for appointments and immunities reached the conclusion that an election threshold of 4% for political parties, of 6% for electoral blocs and of 1% for independent candidates should be instituted, IPN reports.
ACUM Bloc MP Lilian Carp said that compared with the European states, Moldova has one of the most anti-democratic thresholds for the parliamentary elections. The threshold of 6% is maintained for large political parties in order to strengthen their role in the legislature. The election threshold for parties should be 4%, while for electoral blocs 6% or 7%.
Promo-LEX expert Igor Bucătaru said the association he represents supports the proposed election threshold of 4% for parties and of 6% for electoral blocs. Also, Promo-LEX pleads for an election threshold of 1% for independent candidates.
According to Mihai Corj, who heads the association Lex Scripta, the diminution of the election threshold from 6% to 4% would lead to a more representative Parliament.
Ilian Cașu, of Our Party, said society in Moldova is profoundly fragmented and a low election threshold for entering Parliament can lead to the excessive fragmentation of the legislative body and to the impossibility of forming a parliamentary majority.
Expert of “WatchDog” community Valeriu Pașa suggested setting an election threshold of 4% for the next ordinary legislative elections and of 3% for the elections that will be held in eight years, and also of 1% for independents and of 6% for electoral blocs.
The leader of the Party “Democracy at Home” Vasile Costiuc voiced hope that the proposals to decrease the election threshold will find support in Parliament. He noted this will be a stimulus for the extraparliamentary parties and the independent candidates who want to become involved in the political life of the country.
