Vanu Jereghi, Ion Manole and Jana Costachi, who were admitted to the contest to fill the post of people’s ombudsperson and of people’s ombudsperson for children’s rights, presented their platforms in a news conference at IPN. The selection commission is to hold the interviews on June 18.
Executive director of the Moldova Institute for Human Rights (IDOM) Vanu Jereghi, who applied for the post of people’s ombudsman, considers that money should be invested in the education of persons who work in detention paces. There should be created a consultative council under the people’s ombudsperson, which would analyze the phenomenon of torture. The Medical Division of the Department of Penitentiary Institutions should be transferred to the Ministry of Health as the doctor should be only doctor and should not wear epaulettes. The persons should be represented in courts not only by lawyers, but also by representatives of civil society as the ECHR allows this, while the national legislation does not.
Candidate Ion Manole, who is the executive director of Promo-LEX Association, underlined that he will promote team work and will initiate communication between all the players of society. He believes that most of the problems appear because there is no dialogue. Ion Manole will not allow political influence in the work of the people’s ombudsman. “I will not use this post to build an image. I will make effort for the institution to become more transparent, more efficient and more visible,” said the executive director of Promo-LEX.
Jana Costachi, director of the National Center for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons, who applied for the post of people’s ombudsperson for children’s rights, said that she will promote the supreme interest of the child and will not allow discrimination on any grounds. She will monitor authorities’ actions in ensuring the observance of human rights and will contribute to building an irreproachable and credible image of the children’s ombudsperson. She will permanently inform the national and international organizations about the situation of children in Moldova and will propose nontraditional projects to support children and to stimulate their multilateral development.
Asked what aspects must be addressed first of all, Vanu Jereghi said the state must become involved in the health sector because there are many complaints, but no doctor was held accountable for malpractice. Jana Costachi considers the authorities should engage children in looking for solutions to the problems they face, while Ion Manole said he will yet decide what areas he and his team will begin with.
The contest involves three more candidates: Mihail Cotorobai, who applied for the post of people’s ombudsperson, and Maia Banarescu and Liuba Ceban, who want to become people’s ombudsperson for children’s rights.
The people’s ombudsperson will replace the current parliamentary ombudsperson. This post will be held for a seven-year period, while the post of people’s ombudsperson for children’s rights – for a period of five years.
The debate was organized by the Resource Center for Human Rights CReDO, Amnesty International-Moldova, Promo-LEX Association and the Center “Memoria”. It forms part of the events staged during the week dedicated to the victims of torture.
