Moldova went up in the Index of Economic Freedom, but continues to have a mostly unfree economy. With a score of 59.1 points out of 100 possible, the Republic of Moldova ranks 97th of 180 countries included in the Index of Economic Freedom produced by the Heritage Foundation of the U.S. and The Wall Street Journal. The index measures the impact of liberty and free markets. The neighboring countries Romania and Ukraine rank 42nd (68.6) and, respectively, 147th (52.3).
A number of civil society organizations firmly condemn the violation by the Government of the legislation on transparency in the decision-making process. In a statement, the NGOs make reference to a draft Government decision concerning the amendment of a decision on the approval of the technical concept of the automated information system State Register of Public Procurement known as MTender. The draft decision was published on the Ministry of Finance’s website on January 29, 2019, with February 13 being indicated as the deadline for collecting opinions. However, the next day, on January 30, the draft was included in the agenda of the Government’s meeting and was approved. The NGOs consider such flagrant violation of the legislation on decisional transparency is inadmissible.
According to the National Bank of Moldova, the value of total transfers in US dollars in 2018 increased by 5.6% compared with 2017, including by 2.5% as a result of the appreciation of the euro against the US dollar. The real increase in transfers was 3.1%. In 2018, transfers from the CIS declined by 14.5% on 2017, representing 28.3% of all transfers. Some 95.8% of the transfers from the CIS came from Russia. Transfers from the EU grew by 24.2% to 40.4%, while from other states, except for the CIS and the EU, constituted 31.3%.
OTP Bank Group – the largest banking institution of Hungary and the third largest bank in Central and Eastern Europe – intends to come with investments to the Republic of Moldova. For the purpose, OTP Bank Group and Groupe Societe Generale signed an agreement on the acquisition of a majority holding in BC Mobiasbancă – Groupe Societe Generale SA. If OTP Bank Group receives the National Bank’s permission, the change in ownership at BC Mobiasbancă – Groupe Societe Generale SA will not affect the bank’s activity. The bank will continue to operate as usual and to provide the full range of services, including those related to deposits, lending and settlements, the central bank said.
If one of the main competitors is eliminated from the race before the February 24 elections, the elections can be considered illegitimate, President Igor Dodon referred to the Party of Socialists, the electoral bloc ACUM DA PAS and the Democratic Party. “Surely, the Democrats will not remove themselves from the race. Theoretically, either the PSRM or the bloc ACUM can be eliminated.” According to him, in such a situation the people should take to the streets. If one of the two competitors is removed, the elections will be recognized neither by the West nor by the East.
The elections in uninominal constituencies should not be boycotted. The electoral contenders should struggle by all means so as to have greater representation in Parliament. As the law on the introduction of the mixed electoral system was adopted, this should be respected, representatives of the Liberal Party (PL) and the Ecologist Green Party (PVE) stated in the public debate ”Elections 2019: Please elect me MP because...”, which was the 104th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” staged by IPN News Agency.
The Liberal Party and the Ecologist Green Party have among their priorities the stopping of the exodus of young people and rooting out of corruption if they are represented in the next legislature. Furthermore, the two parties aim to strengthen the relations with the foreign partners and to focus on the social areas, namely education and health.
The warnings issued by the development partners show they are no longer willing to tolerate the backsliding in the Republic of Moldova. This idea is seen both in the conditions imposed on Moldova by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament and in the most recent speech given by the U.S. Ambassador in Chisinau Dereck J. Hogan in front of students of the State University of Moldova, said political commentator Alexei Tulbure. (In a speech before students of the Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences of the State University, Ambassador Dereck J. Hogan said the elections of February 24 are the next crucial test for the Republic of Moldova. This is a critical moment in the country’s democratic development.)
Elections in plain words from IPN: meetings with voters. The election contestants or their trustworthy persons can organize meetings with voters. When they intend to do this, they must notify the local public authorities of the event by a statement beforehand. The local public authorities are obliged to make sure the meetings are held on time and in equal conditions. The events are not organized and held in the same place and simultaneously by two or more electoral competitors. If two or more election runners ask to stage the event in the same place and at the same hour, the local public authorities will take a decision based on the consent of the sides. If, as a result of discussions, none of the applicants agrees to modify the meeting hour and place, priority is given to the applicant who submitted the statement the first.
The monitoring of broadcasters during the first week of the election campaign (January 25-31) showed more TV channels covered the activities of election contestants in a neutral way compared with the pre-electoral period. As in the previous report, the media experts monitored 12 TV channels.
An exhibition of dolls of the oldest times of Japan was mounted at the National Museum of Arts. In the opening of the event, Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova Masanobu Yoshii said “the exhibition already travelled through a number of countries and was appreciated by many art lovers. The Japanese dolls show the traditions of Japan and the values of the Japanese people. The exhibition offers a new look on Japan through this form of arts.”
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