Moldova's Democratic Party proposes to organize consultative referendum concomitantly with parliamentary polls

Chisinau, 13 November /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova’s Democratic Party (PDM) will soon register a legislative initiative, thereby demanding the organization of a consultative referendum concomitantly with the parliamentary elections due on 24 February 2019. PDM leader Vlad Plahotniuc made statements to this effect at the end of a today’s meeting of the Democrats.    

According to Plahotniuc, back at a congress of the Democratic Party in 2016, decision-makers proposed the initiation of a comprehensive political reform, due to comprise not only the government, but also the parliament.    

„Back in 2016, we said that the political reform in Moldova implies the optimization of the parliament and government, real transmission of parliament’s control into people’s hands and identifying leverages through which the citizens can sanction those who fail to fulfill their duties,” Plahotniuc said.  

He noted that the first stages of this reform, especially those dealing with the government, had been already implemented and the participants in the today’s PDM meeting had ruled to start the parliament’s reform.  

„We will consult the proposal with the citizens, and if they back it, we will consult with experts, with the Venice Commission, in order to find together the most suitable form of implementing this reform. Just as in case of the reform of the executive power, when we cut the number of ministries, we believe that an optimized parliament will become much more efficient, the MPs will be more responsible and it will be easier for the society to supervise their work,” the PDM leader specified.   

According to Plahotniuc, the Democratic Party will propose the reduction of the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and finding a way by which the citizens might withdraw lawmakers’ mandates, if they disappoint or if they no longer represent them correctly.    

„We have so far avoided the initiation of a referendum on these subjects, first of all, because we wanted to avoid the spending of public money and, secondly, because the presence at referendums is, in general, quite low and we run the risk of getting a contestable result, which would not have showed the opinion of most citizens of Moldova. Yet, with the holding of the parliamentary polls from 24 February 2019, an opportune moment appears for initiating such a referendum, concomitantly with the parliamentary elections, without spending additional money,” the PDM leader added.  

(Reporter A. Zara, editor A. Raileanu)