Newly-created Moldovan parliamentary commission to regulate presidential elections’ organization method

Chisinau, 18 March /MOLDPRES/-The parliament today created a working group in charge of proposing new amendments and supplements to the Electoral Code, in order to ensure the enforcement of the new constitutional provisions on the president’s election by direct vote.

The parliament took this decision after the Constitutional Court (CC) on 4 March 2016 ruled that the president shall be elected by direct vote.

According to the parliament’s decision, the commission will be made of electoral experts and representatives of parliamentary factions. Thus, members of the commission will be Liberal-Democrat MP Valeriu Ghiletchi, Socialist MP Vasile Bolea, Democrat MP Sergiu Sirbu, Liberal MP Roman Botan and unaffiliated MP Gheorghe Mocanu. Igor Vremea will represent the Social Democrat Party. The faction of the Party of Communists (PCRM) refused to delegate a representative in the commission.  

The members of the group are going to analyze the legislation of the current Electoral Code within 30 days. Subsequently, they will propose draft amendments to the organization method of presidential elections.

The organization of the upcoming elections raised numerous disputes among MPs. Communist leader Vladimir Voronin was dissatisfied with the CC ruling and emphasized that the parliament was the only one empowered to amend or supplement the Constitution. “I suggest we organize parliamentary debates with the participation of CC judges responsible for this ruling,” Voronin said.

Socialist leader Igor Dodon asked for “an international expertise to remove any doubts about the CC ruling”.

“As CC’s ruling was taken only after PLDM filed a notification in this respect, no one should doubt it,” Liberal Democrat MP Valeriu Ghiletchi said.

“Though CC’s ruling is controversial, we shall comply with it. We back the creation of this working group,” Democrat MP Dumitru Diacov said.

On 4 March 2016, CC ruled that the Moldovan president shall be elected and dismissed by direct vote. The parliament is going to set up a date of the upcoming presidential elections.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, Editor L. Alcaza)