Even if only one month remained until the parliamentary elections, there are yet many ambiguities related to the conduct of the elections and referendum on February 24. Many of these ambiguities are technical in character, stated Pavel Postică, programs director at Promo-Lex Association and former MP Alexandru Muravski, ex-deputy prime minister, IPN reports.
Pavel Postică said Promo-LEX since the start underlined that the referendum should not be held simultaneously with the parliamentary elections. The legislation does not clearly define a number of aspects of the electoral process. For example, the procedure concerning the holding of the referendum provides that people who are not directly involved in the organization of the plebiscite should not be present at the polling place. In the current situation, each candidate will have representatives at the parliamentary elections. “The Central Election Commission should immediately shed light as it goes not only to us, but also to all the international missions. Will their presence be a violation or not? How will the votes be counted? Will we be asked to leave when the votes cast in the referendum are counted or we will be present there?” asked Pavel Postică.
He mentioned another important aspect – the fact that a minimum turnout of one third of voters is needed at the referendum, while the parliamentary elections do not have a lower limit. Also, the voters will put the ballots for the parliamentary elections and the plebiscite in one ballot box.
Also, the programs director of Promo-LEX anticipates that the people will not be able to vote at the polling places abroad where long lines formed at the previous elections given that they have to take decisions and cast four ballots.
Alexandru Muravski said the CEC should prepare sufficient information beforehand so as to explain how the two events will take place on February 24. “Only one month remained, but there are yet many questions even among specialists,” he stated in the program “Friday with Anatolie Golea” on RTR Moldova channel.
According to him, if the initiators of the referendum really want to reduce the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and to introduce the system for recalling MPs, this is direct attack on the main state institution, Parliament, and on the main principle of democracy, parliamentarianism, as the consequence is the liquidation of parliamentarianism. The initiators of the referendum should understand this and should not implement this idea, regardless of the outcome of the plebiscite.
The former deputy prime minister said the referendum will serve rather as a political argument, if the party that initiated it will want to go further and amend the legislation. “In this regard, the referendum will have particular power and we should not underestimate it,” stated the ex-MP.