The number of 360,000 signatures needed for initiating a referendum to amend the Constitution is too large for a country with a population of 3 million. The issue was developed in the talk show “Moldova live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.

Chiril Motpan, one of the leaders of the Civic Platform “Dignity and Truth”, said the number of required signatures should be diminished. “We will manage to collect the necessary signatures by the set deadline. The fact that this initiative was put forward by the people is important as the people want to elect their head of state. The people are also for decreasing the number of MPs and for removing the parliamentary immunity. But the number of 360,000 is high. It seems that they want to hit the people,” he stated.

The chairman of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon considers that the number of signatures for the referendum should be reduced. “In Romania, which has a much larger population, 100,000 signatures are needed to initiate a referendum to amend the supreme law. For a country like hours, with a population of about 3 million, a large part of which is abroad, 360,000 signatures is too much,” he said.

The Socialists’ leader said he supports the referendum to amend the Constitution so that it allows for the direct election of the head of state, but will also support the resolution of this issue by parliamentary ways, even if there are particular risks. “I think that there are enough chances for Parliament to amend the Constitution so that the people could elect the President. But we must be attentive not to get into a trap of the Democratic Party. The tenure of President Nicolae Timofti expires in slightly over a month. They will first choose a ‘mute duck’ as President for a four-year term and will meanwhile amend the Constitution,” he stated.