In interview for BASA-press News Agency, Dirk Schuebel, Head of EU Delegation in Moldova, stays the recommendations of the Venice Commission made in spring this year did not provide for a referendum in the Republic of Moldova, and a constitutional referendum tackling the change of the state Supreme Law must have a validation threshold. The European official added that it would an assumed right that not enough people have decided to go to referendum and this is also a democratic expression. EU representatives are not disappointed by the outcome of the plebiscite, because they were democratic results and the referendum itself was conducted fairly and freely. However, the referendum must be left behind and “we have to focus on parliamentary elections, which must be held”, Dirk Schuebel added. (BASA-press)
The leadership of the Central Electoral Commission met with Helen Clark, Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where they discussed the perspectives for cooperation in electoral matters, in particular the implementation of the UNDP project “Electoral Support to Moldova”. In the context of discussions about the referendum of September 5, UNDP representative said that no one doubts that it was well organized and the people did not come to vote due to various reasons and the decision to participate or not is up to them. Helen Clark has shown her willingness to continue to support the strengthening the capacities of the Central Electoral Commission to organise free and fair elections in Moldova. (CEC press release)
The organisation of the referendum, the reasons of its failure and lessons to be learned following the plebiscite of 5 September were the subjects of many public discussions and debates. According to participants to the Press Club, the referendum of 5 September was a success for Moldova, though it was not appropriately promoted. Compared with the situation in many European countries, the outcome of the referendum in Moldova is a success, because the turnout was quite high. However, Moldovan authorities should undertake much more efforts to properly inform the citizens, without confusing messages by promoting their own images in such important processes as the constitutional referendum. At the same time, the conclusion that can be drawn is that by their non-participation or vote against the citizens have entrusted the next Legislative to elect the country’s President. (
press release of the Independent Journalism Centre)
Within a roundtable on the failure of constitutional referendum, organized by the Foundation “Priznanie”, the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alexandr Stoianoglo, member of the Democratic Party, said that to the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova it would have been more convenient if the referendum would be validated, since in that case the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) would be dissolved. Stoianoglo states that following the recent events the Alliance got strengthened and mobilized in certain respects, and until the next election it will remain in the same composition, although PDM will run in elections independently. According to the Chairman of the European Action Movement, Veaceslav Untila, AEI did not lose the referendum, and the next Parliament will have approximately the same composition, the AEI will be preserved, it will be strengthen, will gain more votes and will become more functional. On the contrary, the Director of Foundation “Priznanie”, Elena Miskova, believe that AEI has showed weak capacities in mobilizing the population comparative with the PCRM and the communists are likely to get a bigger percentage of votes. Political analyst, Zurab Todua, believes that AEI is the guilty one for the failure of the referendum because it did not assessed correctly the situation and people’s state of mind, most of whom do not accept what Alliance is doing.
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