The human rights group Promo-LEX emphasizes the importance of adopting voting by mail as a viable solution, recognizing the need to ensure the right to vote for all Moldovan citizens, regardless of location. At the same time, the NGO highlights a number of problematic aspects in the bill on the piloting of vote by mail recently presented by PAS.
According to them, one of the main concerns is related to the universality and equality of the vote. The proposal to limit the piloting of postal voting only to voters in the US and Canada does not comply with the fundamental principles of universal and equal suffrage.
Promo-LEX presented an opinion on the bill, a document to be presented today during the public consultations organized by Parliament’s Legal Commission. This opinion outlines a number of concerns and recommendations.
The context of the postal voting pilot initiative is essential to understanding the need for such a measure. The recent elections, especially the 2020 presidential and anticipated 2021 parliamentary elections, highlighted a significant participation of the Moldovan diaspora. However, challenges such as long queues at polling stations and running out of ballot papers have highlighted the need for alternative voting mechanisms. The organization believes that postal voting should be available to all voters who wish to use this alternative voting method.
The organization’s recommendations aim to improve the draft law in line with democratic and electoral principles, including by obtaining a positive opinion from relevant international bodies such as the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR.
A group of MPs from the Action and Solidarity Party registered a draft law on the piloting of voting by mail. The sponsors say this initiative aims to make the voting process easier for Moldovan citizens in the diaspora, especially in countries where the distances to the polling stations are very long. Under the bill, voting by mail would be implemented initially in Canada and the United States. The Bloc of Communists and Socialists criticized the PAS initiative, claiming that it seriously violates the Moldovan Constitution, discriminating against the majority of voters in relation to a minority.
