Liberal-Democratic MP Victor Rosca registered a legislative initiative to make the punishment for voter corruption harsher with the Parliament’s Standing Bureau. The bill contains amendments and supplements to the Election Code and the Penal Code and is aimed at preventing and punishing voter corruption during election campaigns, IPN reports.

According to a press release of the Liberal Democratic Party, the bill author suggests instituting a fine for voter corruption of 300 to 1,000 conventional units (a c.u. is now equal to 20 lei) or jail terms of three to five years for private individuals. Now the Penal Code stipulates a fine of 200 to 300 conventional units and one to three years in prison.

The bill also institutes punishment for persons who ask or accept money, goods, services or other benefits for exercising the right to vote in a particular way. The punishment represents a fine of 300 to 1,000 conventional units or three to five years in jail.

MP Victor Rosca also proposes extending the list of goods that cannot be offered to voters by adding the nontransparent bags with the name and surname of candidates, the name of the political party and signs or symbols of election contenders to it. This amendment will contribute to preventing attempts to distribute goods banned by law to voters.

The bill also adds a provision to the Election Code. This allows annulling the registration of an election runner if this offers goods or money, including from humanitarian aid, to voters. The author considers the proposed amendments will motivate the local party organizations of election contenders to mobilize and eliminate electoral corruption.