What happens in Balti in connection with the decided referendum points to the continuation of the abusive method of preparing for elections by attempts, many of which are successful, to take control of the local public administration, considers civic activist Valeriu Pasa, expert of the association WatchDog Community. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, he said that the holding of several referendums in a relatively short period of time in a country is an indicator of a profound political legitimacy crisis.
According to Valeriu Pasa, the referendum is an extreme method of holding politicians accountable. What happens in Balti is rather a political move, but also a confirmation of the fact that the criminal cases started against Usatyi are political in character no matter whether they are motivated or not. Under the law on the local public administration, the groundless absence from work for such a long period of time should lead to new local elections.
“The fact that the central authorities, the State Chancellery or who is responsible haven’t yet asked to declare the seat of mayor general of Balti vacant and to announce new elections confirms what the mayor of Balti says, namely that the cases against him are first of all politically motivated. He now makes an intelligent and rather politically inspired move by which he will call on the citizens of Balti to support him and will ask them if they want him to manage the town or not,” stated Valeriu Pasa.
Referring to the initiative to hold a referendum to annul the mixed-member electoral system, Valeriu Pasa, who is one of the initiators, said that during 15 days since December 29 the Central Election Commission is to decide as to the registration of the initiative group, to issue permits to the members of the group and subscription lists and to offer time for collecting the necessary minimum 200,000 signatures. It is thus too early to make forecasts as to the referendum.
Asked about the possibility of parties boycotting the plebiscite, the activist said if the Party of Socialists (PSRM) and the Democratic Party (PDM) do it, this would mean that they know they do not have a majority of people who would support the mixed system and they are actually afraid to allow the people to state their wish.
Valeriu Pasa noted that the initiative group does not insist on persuading the people to go out and spend public money to annul an abuse committed by the parliamentary majority. The MPs can anytime annul the electoral system by their vote. “I refer here especially to the PSRM and President Dodon who promoted this system as their own, being actually forced by those from the PDM, and this shows that the PSRM is actually an ‘annex’ of the PDM,” said the expert of WatchDog Community.
