Venice Commission highlights need to revise Moldova’s Constitution

President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio points out to Moldovan politicians the necessity to revise the Constitution, especially in regards to the President election procedure, reports Info-Prim Neo. President Nicolae Timofti met on Wednesday, October 3, with Gianni Buquicchio, in Strasbourg. According to a communiqué from the President's Office, the two officials discussed Moldova’s legislative reforms, and in particula the prospect of amending the Constitution. The Venice Commission President noted that Chisinau’s political forces are the ones who should choose the proper moment for updating the Constitution, and advised these forces to cooperate in amending the supreme Law. Gianni Buquicchio specified that it is important for Moldova to overcome the current conflict state between political Parties, in order to improve the legislative and constitutional situation, which would be followed by an improvement to the economic climate in Moldova. In turn, President Nicolae Timofti expressed his hope that the Parliament’s political forces will be wise enough to collaborate in a constructive manner, towards the elaboration of a new text for the Constitution. Nicolae Timofti met, on the same day, with European Court of Human Rights President Nicolas Bratza, who said that he noted a recent improvement in the way Moldovan judges apply the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights. Nicolae Timofti also met in Strasbourg with Jean-Claude Mignon, President of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The European official stated that the closely follows the development of the Transnistrian settlement, and mentioned in the context APCE’s adopting of a resolution that also includes a request addressed to Russia, regarding the withdrawal of its troops and ammunition from Moldova. Afterwards, President Timofti had a meeting with Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of CoE, and talked, among other topics, about the justice issue in Moldova. Thorbjorn Jagland expressed his content with the fact that things are following the right course in Moldova, and promised CoE’s full support and expertise in the implementation of democratic reforms. The European official also broached the issue of adopting a new Constitution in Moldova, and underlined the importance of the participation of all political parties in debates preceding the adoption of a new text for the supreme law.