Political and electoral corruption will be tougher in Moldova
The same bill, voted in the first reading, also provides for the amendment of the Contravention Code. According to the voted amendments, the transportation of voters to the polling station, on election day, will be sanctioned with a fine from 60 to 120 conventional units for individuals and from 180 to 300 conventional units for legal entities.
The legislative initiative prohibits candidates from using equipment, means and public goods in the election campaign. Candidates will not be entitled to launch or participate in the launch of infrastructure projects or public procurement. Otherwise, the Central Electoral Commission will adopt a decision on the party’s deprivation of the right to state budget allocations for a period of six months to one year.
The deputy of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, Vasile Bolea, said that he sees the project as vague and not expertized by the Venice Commission. He was interested in how the provision regarding the organized transport of voters will affect the citizens abroad and which will be the body for ascertaining and sanctioning the guilty persons. At which, the rapporteur, Sergiu Litvinenco, mentioned that the punishment will not be applied to the people who organize among themselves to come to the polls. According to him, for this there must be cumulative transport components, determined to vote for someone and remuneration, which is valid in the country and abroad. The investigating officer in all cases will be the Moldovan police.
The deputy of the Action and Solidarity Party Vasile Grădinaru agrees that the elections must be free and fair and all the participants in the elections must respect the norms of the law. But, he says, there are those who want to fake these provisions.
Regarding the change promoted, the Minister of Justice, Sergiu Litvinenco, commented that the organized transportation causes the determination of the election results by obtaining extra votes. The difference is that if it is only organized transportation and the determination of people to vote for someone, without being given money or goods, it is a component of the contravention, but if goods are given, then it goes according to the Criminal Code.
The draft law is to be examined in a second reading.
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