Members of the initiative group for holding the legislative referendum on the annulment of the mixed-member electoral system call on the Central Election Commission (CEC) to take a correct decision in its March 12 meeting where it will consider the registration of the group. They also called upon the people to take part in the meeting so as to attend the taking of decisions that concern them.
Stefan Gligor, head of the initiative group’s Executive Bureau, in a news conference at IPN said there are suspicions that the CEC will again reject the registration of the group. Last week, the CEC requested Parliament to interpret a number of new articles of the Election Code concerning the people’s right to organize referendums, arguing these could be misunderstood.
The expert said that even if only Parliament can interpret a law, the application was non-transparently transmitted to the legal commission that does not have such powers. The parliamentary commission issued the CEC with a consultative appraisal that was formulated by Democratic MP Sergiu Sirbu. This says that the legislative referendums in the Constitution are not regulated expressly so that such events cannot be organized.
Stefan Gligor said that before the initiative group was constituted, he asked for additional information about the steps that should be taken so that everything was in accordance with the law from the CEC. It is strange why the CEC asked to interpret articles concerning the people’s right to initiate referendums when it explained how the initiative group members should act so as to follow the procedures.
Valeriu Pasa, secretary of the initiative group, said that even if there is a period of 15 days during which the CEC should examine the set of document and announce its decision as to the registration of the group, the issue was left for the last day. The Ministry of Justice submitted a legislative proposal to amend the Election Code and ban any entity except Parliament (1/3 of MPs) from initiating legislative and consultative referendums. If this bill is adopted, the people’s right to exercise their sovereign right to initiate referendums will be in question.
“This legislative initiative is an attempt to sabotage an eventual referendum. We will collect signatures, while they will meanwhile adopt the bill and will tell us that we no longer have the right to organize the referendum. The government restricts any attempt by the people to exercise their constitutional rights,” stated Valeriu Pasa.
“They tell us they want to follow a European path, but in reality democracy is restrained and this is thus continuously degrading. There is only one step from the hybrid regime we have now up to an authoritarian regime,” said analyst Victor Ciobanu.
Transparency International Moldova expert Ianina Spinei said the Moldovans live in a state that was captured by the PDM, which is afraid of the people. Therefore, the people’s right to exercise their sovereign right to organize the referendum by which to restore the proportional representation system is circumscribed.
According to analyst Alexei Tulbure, the CEC works in a manual regime for the government and abides not by rules and laws, but by the will of the Democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc and his momentary interests. “If this had been an independent institution, the CEC would have registered the initiative group long ago and wouldn’t have looked for possibilities to prevent the holding of a referendum,” he stated.
“We call on the CEC members to take a decision in accordance with the law. There is life outside Vlad Plahotniuc too. We call on the citizens to come to the CEC and see themselves how this takes a decision that concerns them,” said Sergiu Tofilat, expert of the association “WatchDog.md” Community.
Andrei Lutenco, programs director de at the Center for Politics and Reforms, said democracy is not a one-person show and should involve the whole society. Democracy in Moldova will be tested in today’s meeting of the CEC.
