The opinion of the Venice Commission emphasizes the dangers posed by the draft law to change the electoral system proposed by the current government. The Commission said it clearly that this reform is inopportune and should not be done. The debates that the government intends to stage to consider adjustments to the draft law cannot take place as the reform was compromised, programs director of the Center for Politics and Reforms Stefan Gligor stated for IPN.
“It should be noted there is a danger that the candidates would be bought by persons who possess financial resources and use these to promote their interests. The powers of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the criteria for delimiting single-mandate constituencies are not clear. The CEC will have freedom to decide and, being under political influence, could establish electoral constituencies in the interests of the government. This would favor the ruling parties in the electoral process,” said Stefan Gligor.
The programs director of the Center for Politics and Reforms reminded about the unclear method of establishing constituencies for the Transnistrian region and the dubious way in which the Moldovans abroad will be represented in Parliament. The proposed system does not ensure the sufficient representation of national minorities and women in Moldova’s legislature. “The message is very clear, namely that this reform is unsuitable and should not be done,” he said.
Stefan Gligor also said that the proposal wasn’t debated broadly and the conception of cooperation with civil society and the law on transparency in the decision-making process weren’t respected. If the draft law is adopted in the second reading, Moldova will be exposed to major risks. The legislative body will be non-representative and will consist of parties that promote the electoral system change. “This will be a reform that will throw us many years back in terms of democracy and the rule of law and we will lose the respect of the foreign 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.
