Members of the Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) said the opinion of the Venice Commission on the change in the electoral system in the Republic of Moldova is critical and this means that the bill promoted by the Democratic Party and Igor Dodon does not respect the minimum standards and principles needed for modifying the electoral system. PAS leader Maia Sandu told a news conference that the government will definitely continue to assert that the Commission’s opinion is not a negative one and that this only contains recommendations, but the international institutions understand exactly the significance of this assessment. If the government ignores the Commission’s opinion, it should assume the deviation from and disruption of the European course, IPN reports.
“The manipulation about millions of people who support the electoral system change wasn’t convincing for the members of the Commission. There is no and can be no broad consensus in society on an ill-intentioned and badly written proposal,” stated the PAS leader. “The Commission’s opinion raises significant concerns, including the risk that constituency members of parliament would be vulnerable to being influenced by business interests. In other words, the Commission says that some of the so-called independent MPs risk becoming servants of businessmen and would not serve the interests of the people. We all know who these businessmen are. They transformed the Republic of Moldova in the own business.”
Maia Sandu also said that even if the ignoring of this negative opinion does not have automatic consequences from legal viewpoint, the rulers should assume the deviation from the European course because a government that is not credible at home will also lack credibility outside. This suits the Socialists and Igor Dodon, who say it openly that they want a rapprochement with the Russian Federation.
The PAS calls on the government to give up changing the electoral system. It also calls upon the international institutions to use all the available instruments to make the government not to modify the electoral system in breach of the Venice Commission’s opinion. Maia Sandu said that next week she will pay a visit to Brussels to meet with representatives of the three institutions – European Council, European Commission and European Parliament – and will seeks support from them in keeping democracy in Moldova.
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 and a proposal to expand presidential powers. 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, according to the joint opinion, “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.
