Speaker indicates start of practical process of cooperation between legislature and civil society

A meeting between speaker and representatives of Moldovan nongovernmental organisations has marked the start of a practical process of cooperation between legislature and civil society, Marian Lupu has stated to journalists. He said that the meeting aimed to announce civil society representatives that all legal, logistical and organisation premises needed to start the process of cooperation between parliament and civil society is prepared. The sides foresaw practical modalities of cooperation, agreeing that it will especially develop through permanent parliamentary commissions. According to the speaker, the implementation of the legislative programme that the parliament adopted in October 2005 and support for the process of adjustment of national legislation to provisions would be the areas of major interest for medium and long terms. The short-term cooperation could focus on actions resulting from the schedule of collaboration between parliament and the Council of Europe, but the sides will extend these areas of activity. „Any project of public interest will be part of this partnership,” Lupu noted. The dialogue was very constructive, the sides found tangencies for all chapters on this process, the speaker added. The director of the Institute of Public Policies, Arcadie Barbarosie, said that this collaboration is important because every NGO or individual will be able to contribute to a better legislative process. She noted that the civil society is interested above all in protection of human rights, freedom of expression, access to information, equal genders, etc. The reticence of certain parliamentarians, chairmen of commissions, mentality of some lawmakers and low financial and human capacity of civil society could be obstacles on way of a better cooperation with legislature, Barbarosie added. The parliament approved the concept on cooperation with civil society on December 29, 2005.