Draft law introducing uninominal voting system recorded in Moldovan parliament

Chisinau, 14 March /MOLDPRES/ - The draft law on the amendment of the Electoral Code and the law on the status of the MP today was registered and submitted to the Venice Commission for expertise. Public discussions on the draft will start on the immediately next period, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.  

“We will bring arguments and will have more debates, in order to persuade the parliament’s colleagues. The political parties remain an important pillar in the political life. We exclude the party list and the way people appeared on the list,” Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu said at a news conference, during which he unveiled the main provisions of the draft law that introduces the uninominal voting system.  

Under the document, the formation of 101 voting districts is proposed, depending on the territorial and demographic principles. Preliminary registration will be organized for the Diaspora and the districts will be set up according to the principle of proportional representation. As for the Transnistrian region, elections will be organized there when the constitutional authorities will be able to ensure the organization of democratic and fair polls. At the same time, seats will be provided in parliament for the Transnistrian region.   

If the draft is approved, the candidates will have to collect at least 1,000 signatures from the electoral district where they run and have the integrity record. The majority of the votes of the district’s electors is necessary to be elected as MP.   

“Our goal is that the citizens have mechanisms of control over their representatives. Corruption deeds are reduced to the minimum level in such a system, as the lawmaker will work for certain people and will be responsible before them,” the parliament speaker said while commenting on the intention to give voters the right to recall the mandate. According to the draft law, the MP cannot be recalled in the first and last years of mandate. To be recalled, it is necessary that, during a referendum, the proposal should be backed by at least 50 per cent of the number of voters of the district or not less than the number of electors who voted for the concerned candidate.  

The draft will enter the voting procedure following public discussions with experts and the civil society, as well as after the initiative is approved by the Venice Commission.