PACE’s expertise essential for Moldova’s progress with reforms, Moldovan speaker says

Chisinau, 22 December /MOLDPRES/-Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu today held a meeting with the head of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Stefan Schennach, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

“The expertise PACE is offering Moldova is essential for its efforts to boost up reforms and ensure confidence in the act of justice,” Candu said. In this context, he emphasized that Moldova had lately taken a string of actions to consolidate confidence between top authorities in Chisinau and Comrat. According to him, the working group made of Moldovan MPs and members of the Popular Assembly of Territorial Unit of Gagauzia will start its activity this week. During its first meeting, the group will set up a discussion agenda, including priority subjects in the social, economic and legislative fields.

During the meeting, Candu touched upon the main actions meant to align the Moldovan legislation with EU standards, highlighting the important role profound justice reforms play in order to help citizens regain confidence in a fair act of justice, as well as to ensure the supremacy of law and the observance of human rights.

“The initiation of justice reforms was successful; however, I can’t say the same about their development. We are waiting for the conclusions and recommendations of the EU mission of legal experts, due to be made public in April 2016. We have political willingness to implement them, and thus, this will be the commitment of the new government,” Candu noted.  

The Moldovan speaker noted that the parliament was going to approve the new prosecution law in second reading in the near future, as it is one of Moldova’s main arrears to the Council of Europe. He also said that the Moldovan parliament had examined and approved a legislative package on the construction of a new penitentiary in Chisinau two years ago. According to him, there is enough political will to improve the situation in prisons and make sure the prisoners’ rights are observed in compliance with EU standards.

For his part, the head of PACE’s Monitoring Committee welcomed the creation of a joint working group between the Moldovan parliament and the Gagauz Popular Assembly. Schennach encouraged top authorities to continue Moldova’s modernisation process and fulfill its commitments to the Council of Europe. “The activity of democratic institutions in Moldova is not too optimistic. Nevertheless, we can see that certain actions have been taken to improve the situation,” the EU official said.

Stefan Schennach also touched upon his visit to the penitentiary No. 13, where he had examined preventive detention conditions and met with former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat, as well as with former MP Grigore Petrenco and their lawyers. Schennach said he would unveil a report on the functioning of democratic institutions and the observance of the prisoners’ human rights in Moldova, during the meeting of PACE’s Monitoring Committee in January 2016.

The head of PACE’s Monitoring Committee will hold meetings with the leaders of parliamentary parties over the day. Therefore, he will meet the leader of the Socialist Party (PSRM), Igor Dodon, leader of the Party of Communists (PCRM), Vladimir Voronin, leader of the Democratic Party (PDM), Marian Lupu, leader of the Liberal Party (PL), Mihai Ghimpu, as well as with the acting leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), Valeriu Strelet. Schennach is on a fact-collecting visit to Moldova on 20-22 December 2015.

(Editor A. Raileanu)