Politologist and university teacher Mihai Cernencu considers the Venice Commission’s recommendations included in its opinion on the draft law for Moldova’s electoral system reform are reasonable. “Currently, given that there is no broad consensus in this regard, the Venice Commission formulated the most important conclusion – this serious system change is not opportune,” the politologist stated for IPN.

According to Mihai Cernencu, the experts of the Venice Commission said it trenchantly that the mafia clans existing at the local level and at the central level as well will benefit from the mixed-member electoral system if this is introduced. “This was proven in the recent elections in Gagauzia, when the Democratic Party had only two candidates and in three days the party already had 27 deputies elected in the People’s Assembly in Comrat,” said the expert in political sciences.

“In 2007, I pleaded for the mixed-member system, but then we didn’t have the experience of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia and didn’t have an oligarch ruling the Republic of Moldova. In the current conditions, such a system seems inopportune to me.”

Mihai Cernencu also said that the mixed-member system, in the form proposed in the current draft law, is a catastrophe for the Republic of Moldova. “If we do not take into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission, we could remain without development partners,” he stated.

The full opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law for Moldova’s electoral system for the election of Parliament was published on June 19. The authors said the draft law was adopted rapidly in Parliament, without the voting being preceded by broad and open debates in society. The Commission does not recommend implementing such a broad reform without a corresponding consensus. The other objections refer to the keeping of a high threshold that advantages big parties and the increase in the number of voters per polling place from 3,000 to 5,000, which, according to the Commission, will hamper the work of electoral functionaries and will increase the probability of irregularities. Among the major risks posed by the draft law, the Commission’s experts mentioned the fact that constituency members of parliament would be vulnerable to being influenced by business interests and the low representation of women in Parliament. In conclusion, the Venice Commission said the change in the electoral system in the proposed form is inopportune.