The lawmakers on August 19 resume work in the Parliament’s bodies. The parliamentary groups already set the priorities for the autumn-winter session of the legislature. A common priority is the adoption of the 2014 budget and of the legal documents that must be passed by the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit, where Moldova is expected to initial the Association Agreement with the EU.
Liberal-Democratic lawmaker Veaceslav Ionita has told IPN that the first sitting of Parliament will focus on the priorities for the new session. Afterward, there will be reviewed all the legal acts adopted earlier.
Democratic MP Sergiu Sarbu said that emphasis will be put on the fulfillment of the electoral promises made. He noted he will propose bills aimed at facilitating access to justice and ensuring the observance of the Constitution. “We are now working on a series of bills that we, together with the team, will put forward in autumn,” he stated.
The leader of the Liberal reformers Ion Hadarca said that this week he intends to call a meeting with his colleagues to agree the priorities. “The adoption of the budget for next year is certainly a priority, as the amendment of the 2013 budget. The projects related to the European integration and the removal of the obstacles before the Vilnius Summit are also important,” he added.
Liberal MP Valeriu Munteanu said that his faction’s priorities will be announced several days before the beginning of the new session. “We will give a news conference then. We are now setting the priorities,” he stated.
The leader of the Socialist MPs Igor Dodon said that they prepared several sets of bills for the new parliamentary session. “They mainly refer to the activity of economic entities and the social problems, including the nominal compensations for socially deprived persons announced in 2011. We also aim to stop the reformation of the education sector, namely the closing of schools. In the economic sector, we will propose reviewing the fiscal policy and excluding the discriminatory criteria so as to stimulate the development of the national production sector,” he said.
Communist lawmaker Eduard Musuc has told IPN’s reporter that he can now say nothing about their priorities as a relevant decision is yet to be taken. The Communist faction will most probably meet this week or next week at the latest.
Vilnius Summit is a priority
As to the laws that must be adopted by the November Vilnius Summit, Sergiu Sarbu said the Government has a program concerning the most important legal acts. “There are many laws and we will have a lot of work to do to comply with a number of EU directives. But, among the top priorities are the continuation of the fight against corruption and of the justice sector reform and the sensitive matters on which we will work permanently,” he stated.
Ion Hadarca said there are certain problems concerning Moldova’s capacity to adopt laws on the environment sector. “Work is yet to be done at governmental level. If there are legislative initiatives, they will be regarded as a priority,” he stated.
Parliament will return to Law on Local Public Finances
The lawmakers were also asked about the Law on Local Public Finances, which aroused controversy in society. Some say it is a very good law, while others assert the opposite. “I think the Law on Local Public Finances is one of the best laws. It will enable the local authorities to enjoy greater autonomy and independence and will ensure the collection of additional budget revenues. Some of the authorities say the law must be improved. We had meetings with representative of the local public authorities and agreed to hold as many meetings as possible to make sure that the law is applicable,” stated Veaceslav Ionita.
Sergiu Sarbu said that any reform is very painful and some aspects of the given law should be probably reviewed. “We must see the weak points of this law. We should grant financial autonomy to the local authorities, but should not leave somebody without resources. The goal was to enable the mayor’s offices to identify resources and programs. The more passive mayors can be affected. We will see. The experts are yet to study this law,” he said.
Ion Hadarca believes that the new Minister of Finance Anatol Arapu, when he is ready to suggest solutions to remove the ambiguities from the Law on Local Public Finances, will be listened to by the lawmakers and they will probably return to the provisions of this law.
Igor Dodon said he and his colleagues voted against this law and now, a group of specialists headed by Zinaida Greceanyi, who knows this subject very week, are formulating proposals.
Liberal MP Valeriu Munteanu said the Law on Local Public Finances is to be examined in the final reading, but until then the Ministry of Finance and other institutions are to simulate its implementation. “They passed the law in the second reading, but are not sure that it will produce results. Thus, in order not to make mistakes they will make simulations. It is clear that this law is aimed against the municipality of Chisinau and, in any of the forms proposed by them, it will deprive the municipality of several dozen or even several hundred million lei,” he stated.
According to Valeriu Munteanu, the Liberal Party insists that the formula proposed for all the municipalities should be applied to Chisinau too. “Unfortunately, they do not want to implement this formula. They want to take money from Chisinau and to fill gaps elsewhere. This model is improper and we can give relevant examples from other states,” he added.
The autumn-winter session of Parliament starts on September 2.
