The Shor Party’s candidates for MP in the national constituency weren’t registered for the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019. CEC member Vasile Gafton said that according to the legal norms, the party’s president approves, signs and presents the list of candidates to the electoral bodies, but when the list is submitted to the CEC, this is not signed by the president. The party can eliminate the irregularities until January 24.

The People”s Movment  „Antimafie” submitted the documents to the CEC. In a news conference held at the CEC, the Movement’s leader Sergiu Mocanu said the lists includes 36 persons. They wanted to field more candidates, but were unable to owing to the created draconic rules and the barriers that prevent, for example, the citizens who are abroad from running as they will have to travel to Chisinau for several times to obtain the necessary documents.

Civic activists are concerned that fewer women will enter the future Parliament compared with the previous legislature. Alina Andronache, specialist in public relations and advocacy at the National Women’s Studies and Information Center “Partnership for Development”, has told IPN that the women on all the lists of candidates for MP in the national constituency of parties that already registered their candidates with the Central Election Commission are placed mainly at the end and do not have chances of entering Parliament.

The Head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko said the EU is concerned about the worsening of the democratic standards and the rule of law in the Republic of Moldova last year, including of the freedom and pluralism of the media. The ambassador welcomed the adoption by Parliament of the law that specifies the Competition Council’s powers in relation to the media, which is also stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Moldova for providing macro-financial assistance. The official called on the Competition Council and the Broadcasting Coordination Council to monitor, to assess and to react to aspects related to the non-free functioning of the advertising market or to the lack of transparency concerning the final beneficiaries of media outlets. According to him, the press, especially the investigative one, plays a very important role by bringing and keeping these subjects in the defocus of society, the relevant institutions and foreign partners.

The Head of the EU Delegation said the access to information should be guaranteed by finding that balance between the public interest and the private interest.

Wine expert Ion Luca, who is a member of the Association of Small Wine Producers of Moldova, said 2018 was generally a good year for Moldovan winemakers.

“The sector in 2018 grew, in particular exports, as the largest part of the wine made in Moldova is exported, both bottled and non-bottled wine. The harvest of 2017 was partially sold, but partially it is maturing. That’s why incomes from the 2017 record harvest are yet to be earned. The sales of both non-bottled wine and bottled wine increased,” stated the expert.

The current account of the balance of payments of Moldova in the first nine months of last year saw a deficit of US$836.49 million, up 63.2% compared with the deficit recorded in January-September 2017. The current account deficit represented 10% of the GDP, as opposed to 7.5% in the first nine months of 2017.

The National House of Social Insurance  (CNAS) on December 15, 2018 completed the process of scanning data from employment record books for adding information about the insurance period until January 1, 1999 to the accounts of insured persons. Clara Sorocean, head of the CNAS Individual Taxpayers Supervision Division, said the private individuals whose employers didn’t present their employment record books for scanning as required can present the books themselves at the local office of the CNAS. The employment record book is scanned and returned to the person immediately.

Over 100 million lei will be allocated this year from the municipal budget for laying out yards of apartment buildings in Chisinau. The largest sum, of 72 million lei, will go to repair 200,000 square meters of roads and sidewalks. 10 million lei will be used to build 20,000 square meters of parking places, while 28.5 million lei to restore lighting. By 5 million lei will be allocated to each district of Chisinau for setting up squares, alleys, parks and other things requested by people.

Detail on IPN!