Moldovan speaker announces parliament's priorities for autumn session

Chisinau, 10 September /MOLDPRES/ - The justice reform and fighting corruption, reform of the financial and banking sector and business development, implementation of the Association Agreement, adoption of the agricultural package and legislative amendments to the audiovisual area are the priorities of the parliament’s autumn session, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu made statements to this effect at a news conference today. ”The autumn session starts in a very special period. The political context in Moldova, economic situation in the country, migrants’ crisis in Europe – all these represent a challenge for us. Yet, our priority No 1 is to improve the living conditions of the people and, in this respect, we will adopt topic-related sets of laws,” Candu said.

Andrian Candu added that, for the first time, the parliament has a clear-cut agenda of activities for the autumn session, which includes the name of documents that are to be adopted and implemented, with terms and designated officials in charge. Candu announced that he would discuss the actions provided for in the agenda with commissions’ heads at a working meeting, due on 11 September, and will subsequently meet the government’s leadership in order to synchronise the actions.

As for the justice reform and fighting corruption, Candu underscored that tough reforms are implemented in this area, in order to re-establish citizens’ confidence into the act of justice. Candu informed that, a Romanian prosecutor, who will work together with prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA), would come to Moldova next week, with EU support, and, subsequently, he will develop a string of recommendations for an efficient fight against corruption. ”CNA and National Integrity Commission have to be re-organised, maybe even liquidated and created another structure, so that their activity be truly efficient. The arrival of the European prosecutor a first step upon the request that the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate crosses the Prut river,” Candu said.     

Candu added that the parliament should, first and foremost, vote in second reading the new Law on prosecution, worked out with the support of international partners and expertise by the Venice Commission. ”We may talk about resignations, management changes, but if we do not change the system, we will have no chance,” Candu said.

Candu speaks out for radical reform of law courts. He proposes that judges be reconfirmed to the post, after being tested as to integrity and their incomes are checked. The speaker also proposes that the panels of judges include, besides titular judges, honorary (popular) judges too.

Candu informed that an EU justice mission was to come soon to Moldova. ”The concerned mission will focus on reviewing the entire legislation, respectively everything related to justice in Moldova, including institutions and procedures and will provide recommendations in order to be able to move very fast in the justice reform,” Candu said.

At the same time, Andrian Candu believes that radical and urgent measures are necessary to reform the financial and banking system. The speaker said that the law package in the financial and banking area would be given final touches once discussed with development partners. The proposals are meant to ensure the transparency of shareholders, increasing social capital of commercial banks, implementation of corporate governance principles and ensuring the independence of the National Bank. ” Moldova is too small to have 15 banks. We need a few serious banks, which are to ensure the economic and financial security of Moldova,” Candu said.

The speaker added that the parliament was also to adopt a string of amendments and completions to the Audiovisual Code, by taking into account the recommendations provided in expertises of international institutions and in line with the best European practices in the area. ”According to the expertises offered by the Council of Europe and OSCE, any fight against propaganda should be done democratically, an information should be combated with another information, but one is not allowed at all to take forbidding measures or any other measures which might lead to limiting the right of expression. International organisations also encourage us to promote our local audiovisual products and the Romanian language and we will be able to fight propaganda only in this way,” Candu specified.

As far as the business environment development is concerned, Candu said that a string of amendments regarding the operation of the single desk and elimination of trade and construction licences in order to diminish bureaucracy of the activity of the state institutions are worked out at present. ”We are set, during this session, to approve new rules of communication and interaction between the business environment and state, to switch from the system of authorising activities to the notification one. Thus, people will have to deal with authorities on line, even at home, avoiding queues and bureaucracy,” Candu said.

Andrian Candu also proposes to set a single tax rate, as well as to introduce tax on welfare. The parliament is also to approve the Law on information technology industry parks.

Candu speaks out for the parliament adopting, in second reading ,the agricultural package, which includes a range of laws meant to support agriculture and solve farmers’ problems, following an expertise by the World Bank, and approval by the IMF and the government.

Candu said that the parliament would continue the dialogue with the Gagauz Popular Assembly and a common parliamentary working group is to be set up.

The speaker  added that he would be put emphasis on enhancing the parliament’s efficiency and transparency, as well as its openness towards citizens during this session. Andrian Candu believes that the parliament needs a new activity regulation, as the present one does not meet the reality’s requirements. The draft of the new regulation has been already developed and is to be submitted to the parliament. At the same time, Candu said that the e-parliament concept is to be given final touches by late 2015, with the support of development partners. 

Andrian Candu informed that the parliament would continue to carry out its activity within international and regional organizations, a member of which it is, as well as to cooperate at inter-parliamentary level. President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania Valeriu Stefan Zgonea will visit Moldova next week and a new cooperation agreement and a collaboration action plan between the Moldovan and Romanian parliaments are to be signed.

The parliament is to hold its first meeting of the autumn session on 16 September, under an instruction signed by Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu.

(Editor M. Jantovan)