One day after the Parliament passed several changes to the Electoral Code in the final reading, President Igor Dodon enacted the revocation of the mixed electoral system and a return to the proportional electoral system as a matter of urgency. 

In July 2017, Igor Dodon enacted a transition to a mixed voting system in Moldova, a change that both the Socialist and Democratic Parties had previously voted for. But on August 16, the President implemented a revocation of the law on the mixed voting system as an urgent matter – returning the country to a proportional electoral system. 

“The need to cancel the mixed electoral system has emerged in the context of the recommendations offered by the Venice Commission and the development partners of the Republic of Moldova,” the head of state said.

In addition to revoking the mixed electoral system the newly enacted Law also provides for:

• Changes to the notion of general elections that will now encompass any kind of elections taking place during a single day [Sunday] on Moldova’s territory and over the course of two days [Saturday and Sunday] at polling stations abroad;
• The revocation of the integrity certificates, replacing them with affidavits regarding the absence of legal / judicial restrictions to run or hold public offices, and the absence of financial disclosure or conflicts of interests;
• A return to the pre-election silence, prohibiting candidates from electoral campaigning on the day of the election and the day before. However the provision does not refer to information previously displayed on the internet or on posters;
• The modification to the minimum representation threshold, constituting 5 percent for a party, 7 percent for an electoral bloc and 2 percent  for an independent candidate;
• Filling the candidates’ lists for the parliamentary and local elections will be done respecting the minimum representation quota of 40 percent for both genders, at least four candidates for every ten seats.

Furthermore, the Law introduces new transparency procedures for financing electoral campaigns. The deputies decided that individuals cannot donate for one electoral campaign more than six times the average monthly salary established for that year, while the companies can donate up to 12 times the average monthly salary. Also the individuals will be able to donate only three times the average monthly salary in cash, for larger donations they will have to make a bank transfer. 

On July 31, the Parliament voted in the second reading to revoke the mixed electoral system, along with several other amendments to the Electoral Code. In the final reading on August 15, 59 deputies voted in favor of the Law. The next day the President enacted it as a matter of urgency. As a result, the next Parliamentary elections will be based on a proportional electoral system. 

• Moldova’s Parliament Votes to Repeal Mixed Voting System

Diana Gaţcan, gatcan.diana@gmail.com