Bishop of Balti and Falesti Marchel is calling on members of the Moldovan Parliament to approve the bill prepared by the Socialist faction stipulating the applying of administrative responsibility for the propaganda of homosexuality among persons under age.

 

The Bishop reminded at a news conference in Infotag that last April, the Metropolitan of Chisinau and All Moldova, Vladimir, addressed to the deputies with a request to abolish Law #121 on Equal Opportunities adopted in 2012, but a majority of deputies ignored the Metropolitan’s insistent request, remarking that “he is demanding too much”.

 

Bishop Marchel is convinced that the Socialists have prepared a bill that is strongly necessary for Moldova in the light of the risks of the Law #121.

 

“Support this initiative. It is your duty to protect children and preserve families. Everything depends only on you. Rejection of the bill will have neither justification nor forgiveness. Rejection of the bill will only deepen the abyss between the civil society and the authorities”, said the Bishop.

 

“If you approve the bill, then there will be a chance to return citizens’ trust in the authorities and to wash away the disgrace of the previous Parliament who adopted the scandalous Law on Equal Opportunities”, believes Marchel.

 

On May 25, 2016 the parliamentary Socialist faction presented their bill stipulating the amending of Article 88 in the Code of Administrative Procedure in order to introduce administrative responsibility for the propaganda of homosexuality among minors. The Socialist bill was approved by several parliamentary standing committees.

 

As already reported by Infotag, the Moldovan Parliament approved the highly disputable Law on Ensuring Equality on May 25, 2012. Already on that day, various actions of protest began in the republic, organized mostly by active Christians, who hated the very thought that the Law will legitimize the rights of sexual minorities.

 

The Moldovan Government approved the draft Law on Discrimination Prevention (which was the document’s initial name) yet in February 2011 in order to ensure equal chances for all Moldova citizens, irrespective of their sexual orientation, race, color of the skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, political affiliation, property, or social status. The European Union and the Council of Europe strongly recommended passing such law.

 

However, the bill stirred up stormy debates in the Moldovan society, splitting it into two hostile and, so far, irreconcilable camps. A part of the society seems to be tolerant, while the other part would not accept the bill due to its formulations, such as e.g. the ones on equal rights to sexual minorities.

 

A majority of deputies in the Moldovan Parliament refused to approve the bill in its initial shape. Some MPs presumed that exclusion of the “sexual orientation” syntagma from the bill text would calm down passions in the Moldovan society. After a whole number of resolute actions of protest here, the Government revoked the bill from Parliament. In early May 2012, however, the Ministry of Justice presented a new variant of the draft Law under the name of “Law on equal opportunities”. Prime Minister Vladimir Filat even stated that he stands ready to tender resignation if only the Parliament rejects the bill.

 

Moldova has undertaken a commitment before the European Union to necessarily adopt the Law. European officials have many a time warned that without the said Law, Moldova’s Euro-integration may take infinitely long.