The verdict of the Venice Commission, even if it is critical, does not block the process of changing the electoral system, considers political analyst Corneliu Ciurea. Contacted by IPN, Corneliu Ciurea said that as regards the broad consensus required for modifying the system, invoked in the Venice Commission opinion, in the Republic of Moldova this has never existed, regardless of the initiatives proposed for debates. The Venice Commission’s recommendations concerning the formation of constituencies, voting in the diaspora and the representation of women will be taken into account by the parliamentary majority and by those who want to support the electoral system change.
“The idea with the consensus seems to be dominant in this opinion. I don’t think this can be accepted by Moldovan society. The arguments were already stated. There is no national consensus now, but this has never existed in the Republic of Moldova, on any subject,” said the analyst. He gave as example the lack of broad consensus even when the Moldova – EU Association Agreement was ratified and when the Law on Equality of Chances was voted. According to him, the Republic of Moldova wasn’t then required to ensure a broad consensus that would involve the whole society, even if these subjects were very important for the fate of the country.
“Therefore, we, the experts, and probably the politicians as well do not understand why some of the institutions, not necessarily the Venice Commission, should further cling to this principle. The Association Agreement was adopted by the votes of 59 MPs and this thing was accepted by the European Union without any problem. The electoral system change was passed in the first reading by the votes of 74 MPs. I don’t think objections can appear here, which could affect the sovereignty of the state,” said Corneliu Ciurea.
According to him, the Moldovan authorities should urgently initiate a dialogue with the European institutions. “I think that by July 6, when the European Parliament is to vote on the €100 million in assistance for the Republic of Moldova, we should have very intense discussions with these institutions so as to present our arguments to them. The situation is not serious. Communication is needed and I consider our position will be clearly explained to the European institutions,” stated Corneliu Ciurea.
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.
