Moldovan authorities to implement recommendations of Venice Commission on amending electoral system

Chisinau, 17 June /MOLDPRES/- The Venice Commission set more technical and legal recommendations on amendment of the electoral system, and the Chisinau authorities have committed to implement them fully. Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu made the statement today.

The speaker said that the recommendations of the Venice Commission experts are focused on forming electoral districts, diaspora vote and vote in Transnistrian region. “Several technical and legal recommendations are expected. We have committed to implement them. These recommendations provide for forming electoral constituencies abroad, the diaspora vote and vote in Transnistrian region, representation of the diaspora and Transnistrian region citizens in parliament, promotion of women in politics, mechanism on setting electoral threshold and financing electoral campaigns”, Candu said.

The speaker noted that the members of the Venice Commission reiterated that “the change of the electoral system is the sovereign right of Moldova”. “The Venice Commission said that if there is no broad consensus, it would not recommend now the change of the electoral system. At the same time, in our society there is never a broad consensus and if we take it into account, we will not make any reform, so rely on the wish of most citizens. Currently, over 60 per cent of citizens want to change the electoral system, just like the parliamentary majority, civil society and extra-parliamentary parties. After getting the final analysis, there is a wide debate again, we will make the necessary adjustments for the vote in the second reading. It is possible the project could be voted by late July 2017. After the change of the electoral system, we will already send the law passed for being considered again”, he said.

The Venice Commission adopted opinions that critically assess the draft law on amending the electoral system of Moldova and the draft amendment of the Constitution aimed at enhancing the presidential mandate. Thus, the experts noted that by amending the electoral system, “significant issues” raise, including the risk that MPs elected by constituencies might be influenced by the business interests. Other reasons for concern are the lack of clearly established criteria for the establishment of constituencies in the Transnistrian region and for the citizens from abroad.

The parliament adopted in the first reading two draft amendments to the electoral system – proposal of the Democratic Party on setting the uninominal vote and the one of the Party of Socialists on mixed vote. After consultations, the legal commission on rules and immunities decided to merge the drafts for the second reading, the draft law on mixed voting was the base.

 (Reporter A. Plitoc, editor A. Răileanu)