The report of the people’s ombudsman for 2015 highlights a number of problems related to the observance of human rights in Moldova. Among these is the reduced purchasing power of the population, low pensions and limitation of access to medical services. Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai told a news conference that the size of pensions is under the minimum subsistence level set by the National Bureau of Statistics, while the official figures show that 98% of the pensions receive pensions lower than this level, IPN reports.

“In 2015, the purchasing power of the population decreased by over 6%. The prices and tariffs of consumer goods and services rose three times on average compared with 2014, while the prices of public utilities increased seven times. What is the correlation between the observance of human rights and their guaranteeing in this case?” asked Mihail Cotorobai.

The ombudsman’s senior consultant Svetlana Rusu said that the area of social protection is the most vulnerable area described in the report. In Moldova there is no independent body that would monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “Such a mechanism is needed both in respect of the persons with disabilities and of organizations that protect their rights,” she stated.

According to the report, the persons with locomotor disabilities and hearing and visual impairments face big difficulties in exercising their rights because they do not have access to public institutions (lack of wheelchair access) and face obstacles when they want to cast their vote. They have insufficient access to social infrastructure, transport and information. Also, the rights of patients were frequently violated in 2015 and many of these complained to the ombudsman about the limited access to medical services, including emergency ones.

Tatiana Popa, consultant of the Office of the People’s Ombudsperson, said the institution does not have a permanent head office. “The Parliament’s Secretariat demands that we should leave the building because it is damaged, while the Government says it cannot offer us a new head office that will meet our needs,” she stated.

The head of the Parliament’s legal commission for appointments and immunities Raisa Apolschii said that the problems highlighted by this report are similar to those that existed when she headed the Office of the People’s Ombudsperson. “You should not count on the state budget a lot as there was always a shortage of funds for financing the work of the ombudsperson,” she stated.

The report is designed to inform the representatives of civil society, international partners, the authorities and general public about the ombudsperson’s conclusions and concerns about the human rights situation.