The initiative comes after legislative changes and decisions of the Constitutional Court that revised the competencies of the authorities in the region in the electoral field. The project introduces into the Electoral Code the notion of “regional elections”, which will include the vote for the election of the governor, the Popular Assembly, and referendums within the competence of Gagauzia.

Igor Chiriac, a deputy of the Action and Solidarity Party and one of the authors of the project, clarified for IPN that the immediate objective of the project is to create the necessary legal framework for the conduct of elections in the autonomous region this year.

Today, at the Parliament, consultations took place with the representatives of Gagauzia regarding the proposed changes. According to Igor Chiriac, they continue to advocate for the preservation of the current electoral system, however, the legislation must be uniformly applied throughout the entire territory of the Republic of Moldova.

The project also envisages the modification of the electoral system for the People’s Assembly, by transitioning from the current single-member system to a proportional one, similar to that used in other types of elections. However, for the election scheduled to be organized this year, an exception is provided, so that the elections can be conducted under the current rules.

The President of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, Valentin Gaidarji, believes that the proposed changes to the Electoral Code require a more in-depth analysis and warns of possible risks to the rights of the inhabitants of the autonomous region. According to him, additional legal expertise, comparative analyses with the legislation of other states, and the adjustment of legislative solutions to European standards are necessary.

The document stipulates that the future Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia will have between seven and 11 members. The president of the institution will be appointed by the Central Electoral Commission, two members will be designated by the Popular Assembly, and the others will be selected under the conditions provided by the Electoral Code. If the competent authorities do not make the designations on time, the vacant positions will be filled by the CEC from the Register of Electoral Officials.

The project also stipulates that the CEC will assist and supervise the organization of regional elections and will adopt the necessary decisions for their conduct.

The bill has been registered in Parliament and is set to be examined by deputies.

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According to the document, Vasile Tofan replaces Alexandru Munteanu as Prime Minister and member of the Commission. At the same time, the former Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ludmila Catlabuga, was excluded from the Commission without a deputy being designated, in the context of the resignation of the new minister, Radu Musteata. The decree also updates the roles of the other members of the executive who are part of the Commission.

The Committee includes Dorian Istratii, vice-president of the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance, replacing Radu Marian, who resigned from his position as president of the parliamentary committee. At the same time, the interim general director of the National Agency for Food Safety, Alexandr Manciu, replaces the former director of the institution, Radu Musteata.

Daniela Vidaicu becomes the representative in the Commission of the National Platform of Moldova of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, replacing Sergiu Gurau. Also, Ana Groza replaces Leonid Cerescu as the president of the National Confederation of Employers.

The National Commission for European Integration coordinates the process of implementing the reforms necessary for the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union and ensures cooperation between public authorities and other institutions involved in the country’s European journey.

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According to the authors of the initiative, the amendment will prevent situations where a car is formally stuck on customs territory, in the event that the person who brought it can no longer remove it from the country.

The legislative project was developed by a group of deputies from the parliamentary faction “Our Party”.

In the second reading, the Government also proposed an amendment to the Customs Code concerning the activity of economic agents in the former Tvardița free zone. According to the new provisions, the deadline for liquidating assets and transitioning to the regular regime has been extended by another 75 days, and the measure will come into effect on May 11.

At the same time, the new rules regarding the customs procedure for transport means will come into effect starting from September 1st.

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The new rules provide more flexibility in establishing the administrative center and the name of the new administrative-territorial unit. At the same time, the fixed limit of 25 kilometers between localities, which previously could hinder the initiation of the amalgamation process, has been eliminated.

Another aspect of the reform stipulates the preservation of public services in the merged localities, including through the unified service delivery centers, so that citizens are not obliged to travel to the headquarters of the central town hall. Also, in the localities resulting from the amalgamation, local elections will be held on schedule, in 2027.

The parliamentary opposition proposed several amendments to the bill, but they did not garner the necessary number of votes. So far, two voluntary amalgamation processes have been completed and 298 communities have initiated such endeavors.

Disclaimer: This material was prepared by the IPN Press Agency, within the project “Local Public Administration Reform in Dialogue”, funded by the Ministry of Culture from the Media Subsidy Fund.

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The current regulations are considered too rigid by the project’s authors, who argue that they should be adjusted to allow a faster and more efficient response from the authorities.

The project also envisages the reduction of some operational terms, including the decrease of the alert measures application period from 60 to 30 days, as well as the obligation for the acts adopted in crisis situations to be communicated to the competent institutions within a maximum of 72 hours.

Another aspect of the project aims to strengthen parliamentary control, with the relevant committees being able to examine at any time the decisions and restrictions imposed during the state of emergency, as well as to propose their modification or cancellation.

The authors of the initiative assert that the changes are necessary to ensure a balance between the rapid intervention of the authorities and the respect for fundamental rights, as well as for aligning national legislation with European standards.

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In this regard, the association proposes that organizations, companies or individuals who promote electoral competitors or political themes should be obliged to register with the CEC, to respect funding limits and to present financial reports, just like electoral competitors.

Another aspect concerns financial transparency in the pre-election period. Promo-LEX advocates for the introduction of the obligation to report income and expenses before the official start of the campaign, considering that electoral activities often start earlier.

The organization also criticized the CEC’s proposal to amend the basic electoral lists, which would only include voters who participated in the last three elections. At the same time, initiatives to develop alternative voting methods, including postal voting, especially for citizens abroad, are supported.

According to the CEC, following the public appeal addressed to electoral subjects for the formulation of proposals to improve electoral legislation and related laws, approximately 200 observations and recommendations were received. These will be analyzed in the process of preparing a consolidated package of amendments. Subsequently, the proposals will be forwarded to the Parliament for the development of a legislative initiative to amend the Electoral Code and related legislation, with the aim of ensuring a modern electoral framework aligned with democratic standards.

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Alexei Buzu stated that, following discussions with local elected officials, the voting procedure in local councils has been simplified, and local representatives can fulfill their term even if they initiate amalgamation.

The changes have sparked discussions in Parliament. Deputies warned that changing the names of some administrative units could generate additional costs for individuals and legal entities, including the issuance of new documents. In response, the Secretary General of the Government stated that the authorities are collaborating with the Cadastre and the Public Services Agency to ensure that the changes are applied automatically, thus preventing citizens or entrepreneurs from having to redo their documents.

During the debates, the deputy of the Alternative faction criticized the approach to reform, noting that it should not be limited only to reducing the number of municipalities or districts, but should clearly include the sharing of competencies and financial resources. “Larger municipalities do not necessarily mean stronger municipalities,” stated Deputy Ion Chicu.

Alexei Buzu emphasized that the main obstacle of local public administration is not a lack of skills, but a reduced capacity – both fiscal and institutional – to exercise them. The official cited the excessive fragmentation of local administration and the decline in municipalities’ own revenues, pointing out that the current financing system does not stimulate local economic development.

At the same time, the fraction of the Socialist Party accused the government of pressuring mayors, claiming that financial support would only be granted to localities that accept voluntary amalgamation.

The initiators have dismissed the criticisms and clarified that the supplements offered are intended to encourage the voluntary process, so that mayors and citizens can decide for themselves with whom they wish to amalgamate.

Disclaimer: This material was prepared by the IPN Press Agency, within the project “Local Public Administration Reform in Dialogue”, funded by the Ministry of Culture from the Media Subsidy Fund.

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During the Wednesday meeting, the cabinet of ministers approved changes to the voluntary amalgamation mechanism of administrative-territorial units, aimed at simplifying procedures and providing more flexibility to local authorities.

Alexei Buzu argues that the new provisions allow the initiation and implementation of the amalgamation process without the organization of early local elections, this being finalized along with the local scrutiny of 2027. Thus, local elected officials will be able to carry out their mandate to the end.

The changes include the removal of the criterion regarding the maximum distance of 25 kilometers between localities, the possibility of establishing the administrative center by consensus, as well as the option to change the name of the new administrative-territorial unit, if there is agreement between the parties.

The Executive Director of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova, Viorel Furdui, stated that clear incentives are needed for localities opting for amalgamation to operate the mechanism. Viorel Furdui pointed out that the proposals made by CALM were not included in the project and expressed his hope that they will be analyzed in Parliament.

In turn, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu emphasized the importance of dialogue with local authorities and noted that the increasing number of initiatives indicates a better understanding of the benefits of voluntary amalgamation.

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“The involvement of teachers in solving and adjusting tests has provided us with valuable information that allows us to make the appropriate changes to ensure the quality of exam materials,” stated Lilia Ivanov, the director of the National Agency for Curriculum and Evaluation.

Thus, for Romanian Language and Literature, the tests for the real profile will have 10 items, instead of 12, and for the humanist, arts and sports profile – 12 instead of 15. For Geography and sports training there will be 14 items each, and for Russian Language and Literature, subject A will have 6 items. The Romanian language for national minority students will include 7 items in the first part, instead of 9.

Other adjustments provide: in Romanian and Universal History, subject IV will have only one historical source, while in Chemistry, the requirements will be more applicative. In Physics, more drawings will be included, and in Foreign Language, the volume of text for subject III will increase to 100-110 words, with a clear marking scheme correlated to the number of words and errors.

MEC also announces that in the republican evaluation commissions, teachers who have participated in training sessions and have obtained the “National Evaluator” certificate can be involved.

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The bill proposes changes to 22 normative acts.

Therefore, the number of documents and the conditions required to obtain permissive acts will be reduced, single window solutions and informational technologies will be implemented, the validity term will be extended, and the issuance term will be shortened.

Previously, the Parliament has abolished or transformed into non-permissive procedures 33 acts, and in the case of another 53, the issuance procedures have been simplified.

At the same time, within the Growth Plan of the Republic of Moldova for the period 2025-2027, the authorities aim to eliminate at least 20 permissive acts and to revise another 80.

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