The negotiations on the formation of the new pro-European coalition and the agreement on its creation, together with its annexes, must be made public. The posts that do not imply political loyalty owing to their specific features must not be subject to negotiation. These posts must be occupied by specialists named according to such principles as professionalism, merit and gender equality. These are some of the demands put forward by the National NGO Council, the National Participation Council and other civil society organizations to the new pro-European coalition in a news conference at IPN.
The representatives of civil society also demand that the new coalition should assume responsibility for the priorities from the previous government program and other new priorities for ensuring the European course, should step up the efforts to implement the initiated reforms, especially the justice sector reform, should fight corruption and ensure the functionality of the National Integrity Commission. Another demand is to adopt, within 100 days of the validation of the seats of MP, the package of laws on media ownership transparency, the new Broadcasting Code formulated by civil society several years ago and the package of laws on tobacco control, election campaign funding transparency and institution of a minimum gender quota.
The National NGO Council and the National Participation Council called on the new coalition to ensure the civil society’s participation in taking decisions of public interest, including to consult civil society when the new government program will be worked out. “We will not have a government of a high quality if we say our word, of the people, only once in four years, in the general elections,” said the director of the Institute for Public Policy Arcadie Barbarosie.
“In this election campaign and before the campaign and in the elections, we, together with you, put our soul and our word and, more important, risked our name when we called on the people to take part in the elections and, in particular, to vote for the European development course. Therefore, I consider I have the right to demand that this pro-European parliamentary majority should deliver all the made promises,” said politologist Olga Nicolenco. She expressed her disappointment at the decreasing number of women in Parliament, from 26 in 2009 to 21 in 2014, several of whom will go to work in the Cabinet.
Sergiu Ostaf, director of the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO), expressed his skepticism about the new coalition’s capacity to fulfill the promises and to do the necessary reforms. “I subscribe to this call, but I’m one of those people who do not believe in those who managed to do nothing for society in four years,” he stated.
“This call must not be interpreted as support for the political parties. Civil society is and will be independent. We do not support these parties. We support Moldova’s European course, regardless of the party that will lead the country on this path,” said Vlad Gribincea, director of the Legal Resources Center.
“It is very important that the people understand what’s going on and how the coalition is formed. We want the agreement on the formation of the new coalition and all its annexes to be transparent so that every person, when they go to the polls the next time, realize for what reforms and processes they vote, not only for what promises”, stated Antonita Fonari, director of the Resource Center “Young and Free” and deputy head of the National Participation Council.
The representatives of civil society announced that they will attentively monitor the negotiation process and the implementation of the government program and will react appropriately to any deviation from the reform plan.
