Home > 2.6 Campaign finance > MOLDOVA - Joint Opinión on the Law for Amending and Completing Certain Legislative Acts (Electoral System for the Election of the Parliament)
 
 
 
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Paragraph 21
 

This fundamental change to the electoral system is contrary to prior recommendations of the Venice Commission and ODIHR. Both the 2014 and the 2017 Joint Opinions raised concerns over the introduction of a mixed electoral system to replace a proportional system in the Republic of Moldova. The 2017 Opinion recognised the sovereign decision of the Moldovan lawmakers with regard to the electoral system, but in the particular circumstances of Moldova, it recommended against the proposed change on the grounds that the election stakeholders in single-member constituencies could be vulnerable to undue influence and manipulation by well-resourced local businesspeople. More precisely, the 2017 Joint Opinion found that, “[i]n the present Moldovan context, the proposed reform could potentially have a negative effect at the constituency level, where independent majoritarian candidates may develop links with or be influenced by businesspeople or other actors who follow their own separate interests”. Concerns were also noted over the competent body and the criteria for the establishment of single-member constituencies, as well as the effect of thresholds on the representation of women. In light of these concerns, and in view of the lack of consensus on this polarising issue, the Joint Opinion concluded that the change of electoral system “is not advisable at this time”. It remains to be seen how the mixed system will be implemented in practice in the forthcoming elections and the concerns raised in the 2014 and 2017 Joint Opinions are reiterated. There is no new information that suggests a different conclusion in the current opinion.