| Print | |
Moldova: statement by PACE co-rapporteurs following changes to Electoral CodeStrasbourg, 17.06.2009 – Josette Durrieu (France, SOC) and Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) for the monitoring of Moldova’s obligations and commitments, made the following statement today: “We take note of the positive changes to the Electoral Code which the Moldovan Parliament adopted on Monday and which tend in the direction of the Venice Commission’s and the Assembly’s recommendations. These changes, which were adopted by 59 out of 101 votes, the opposition having declined to associate itself with the ballot, are intended to reduce the electoral threshold from 6% to 5%, and the participation threshold from 50% plus one vote to 33% plus one vote. However, we observe that the following issues have not been settled:
- Electoral lists: these have raised objections for not being up to date. They gave rise to supplementary lists, not only contestable but indeed contested by the observers of the poll. There is an overriding need to make all the necessary changes before the new election. As we have not received information to that effect, we hope that the compilation of the new lists will be completed by the next ballot.
- Voting by Moldovan electors resident abroad: there are over 500 000 Moldovans living abroad. We regret that the matter of voting by these citizens has not been settled.
We are keeping an attentive watch on the post-election events in Moldova, and we shall do likewise during the forthcoming early elections. We sincerely wish that the campaign may proceed under optimum conditions and in accordance with European standards especially as regards access to the media.”
The co-rapporteurs went on a fact-finding mission to Chisinau on 10 June, as part of the follow-up to PACE Resolution 1666 (2009) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Moldova. They will present the findings of their visit to the members of the Monitoring Committee at a meeting on the sidelines of the next PACE session (22-26 June 2009).
|