​PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY RAILROADS DP BILL ON INTRODUCING MAJORITY ELECTION SYSTEM

On Friday evening, the Moldovan Parliament approved in a first reading the Democratic Party’s bill on introducing the majority election system to be based on one-mandate constituencies. The document was supported by 52 MPs [in the 101-member legislative forum] representing the Democratic Party, the new European Popular Group, and several non-aligned deputies.

The Liberal Party faction, which is part to the ruling coalition, expressed disagreement with the bill and left the session room. The factions of the Party of Socialists, Communist Party and Liberal Democratic Party also voted against the bill.

The alternative bill proposed by the Party of Socialists was presented in the Parliament but was not put to the vote. The Socialists demanded a break to decide on their further behavior.

Presenting the DP bill in the forum, one of its authors Sergiu Stati said the document stipulates the holding of parliamentary elections in one-mandate constituencies. For this, the republic will be divided into 101 constituencies to be formed by the Central Election Commission proceeding from demographic and territorial criteria depending on the number of the population.

“The CEC must create the said constituencies in 6 months. They will be permanent. In each constituency, citizens will be electing one deputy of parliament – the person who polls most of ballots, so there will be no need to hold a second round”, said Sergiu Stati.

In his words, constituencies will be created also for the Transnistrian region. For this, a transition period has been envisaged. Elections in these constituencies will begin to be held when the constitutional authorities of the Republic of Moldova take the Transnistrian region under their legitimate control – through a political settlement of the Transnistrian problem.

To be registered as a parliamentary candidate, the person is supposed to collect minimum 1,000 citizens’ signatures in a given constituency.

The bill stipulates the procedure of recalling of deputies on voters’ demand. The recalling is organized through holding a regional referendum. A deputy may not be recalled on the first or the last year of the mandate.

Sergiu Sirbu assured the parliamentarians that the DP bill is aimed at approximation of deputies and voters, that there exist no ideal systems in the world, and that each country selects the most suitable system for itself.

“The majority election system functioned in Moldova until 1994. This system is used at electing the Gagauzia Popular Assembly, the Gagauzia Bashkan [Governor], and since 2016 – the election of the President of Moldova. The one-mandate system is used in such developed democracies as the United States, Great Britain, France, and for electing upper chambers in many European countries”, said Sergiu Sirbu.

The discussion of the bill lasted nearly 2 hours, and all that time an action of protest was continuing before the Parliament Building organized by civil society activists and opposition parties. The protesting was joined by the parliamentarians, who left the plenary meeting in protest against the Democrats’ bill. [See the protesting story below.]