{"id":443814,"date":"2017-05-02T19:45:09","date_gmt":"2017-05-02T19:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=443814"},"modified":"2017-05-02T19:45:09","modified_gmt":"2017-05-02T19:45:09","slug":"vlad-spanu-politicians-people-look-international-experience-changing-electoral-system-moldova","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/vlad-spanu-politicians-people-look-international-experience-changing-electoral-system-moldova\/","title":{"rendered":"Vlad Sp\u00e2nu: Politicians and people should look to international experience when changing the electoral system in Moldova"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

In his most recent interview<\/a> for Radio Free Europe, the President of Moldova Foundation and Moldova.ORG founder, Vlad Sp\u00e2nu, emphasizes the positive changes for democracy that might occur after the adoption of the single-member district majoritarian system in Moldova.<\/p>\n

According to Sp\u00e2nu, the switch to the uninominal vote would be an important step for Moldova to install a representative democracy, like in the Western countries and especially, the USA. He thinks that the US, an example that has been working for hundreds of years, is speaking in this regard.<\/p>\n

Asked about why the switch to the single-member district system is not widely accepted, Moldova.ORG founder mentioned two factors. On one side, the party lists (in proportional system) allow the party leaders to manipulate both the voters and the members depending on their loyalty, financial contributions or attitude. On the other side, the former diplomat believes that the problem is not in who (Vlad Plahotniuc) proposed the new system, but rather in the perception about the future consequences of implementing it:<\/p>\n

“…the citizens of the Republic of Moldova must take this path. Because they need to exercise real democracy and assume responsibility about their vote, for example, the vote for the president. They will go through this process, they will understand if they made mistakes or if they were correct, and in the next four years, there will be new elections and a new exam for the people to elect someone. This is what the uninominal vote will be. The fact that the citizens will elect someone from their own community (will make the\u00a0deputies) take a higher responsibility towards those who sent them to Chi\u0219in\u0103u to represent them”<\/em>, says Sp\u00e2nu.<\/p>\n

What concerns the voting and the distribution of mandates in the Transnistrian region, he thinks the participation of those voters should be allowed in the same form as before- they\u00a0will have voting centers on the right bank of Nistru. Obviously, the lack of control over the Transnistrian territory would accordingly be\u00a0a barrier in making the elections a widespread process, but Chi\u0219in\u0103u should face the current situation. Moreover, the deputies coming from there, probably with different opinions, should be welcomed in the Parliament in Chi\u0219in\u0103u, because the majority from the right bank will mostly\u00a0decide on national policies.<\/p>\n

Regarding diaspora and its mandates in the Parliament, the ex-diplomat says that the Moldovans living abroad should not have their own MPs and instead, continue voting according to their previous residences in Moldova, despite the lack of online or absentee voting.<\/p>\n

Sp\u00e2nu admits that, in case no consensus is found on implementing the uninominal vote, the consensus will be directed to the mixed electoral system. More importantly, the new system would not provide an efficient and stable government, but, at least, try to replace the internal party dictatorships and might bring new people-\u00a0less vulnerable, less controlled.\u00a0<\/em>The new deputies would be liable to corruption, but the link with the communities would be stronger and would counterbalance, Sp\u00e2nu thinks.<\/p>\n

In connection to the early dismissal of MPs by referendum, Sp\u00e2nu declares that the method of choice is better than that of dismissal, suggesting that elections can be organized every three years, to\u00a0let the voters elect more often.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>In his most recent interview for Radio Free Europe, the President of Moldova Foundation and Moldova.ORG founder, Vlad Sp\u00e2nu, emphasizes the positive changes for democracy that might occur after the adoption of the single-member district majoritarian system in Moldova. According to Sp\u00e2nu, the switch to the uninominal vote would be an important step for Moldova […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":442626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-443814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

In his most recent interview<\/a> for Radio Free Europe, the President of Moldova Foundation and Moldova.ORG founder, Vlad Sp\u00e2nu, emphasizes the positive changes for democracy that might occur after the adoption of the single-member district majoritarian system in Moldova.<\/p>\n

According to Sp\u00e2nu, the switch to the uninominal vote would be an important step for Moldova to install a representative democracy, like in the Western countries and especially, the USA. He thinks that the US, an example that has been working for hundreds of years, is speaking in this regard.<\/p>\n

Asked about why the switch to the single-member district system is not widely accepted, Moldova.ORG founder mentioned two factors. On one side, the party lists (in proportional system) allow the party leaders to manipulate both the voters and the members depending on their loyalty, financial contributions or attitude. On the other side, the former diplomat believes that the problem is not in who (Vlad Plahotniuc) proposed the new system, but rather in the perception about the future consequences of implementing it:<\/p>\n

“…the citizens of the Republic of Moldova must take this path. Because they need to exercise real democracy and assume responsibility about their vote, for example, the vote for the president. They will go through this process, they will understand if they made mistakes or if they were correct, and in the next four years, there will be new elections and a new exam for the people to elect someone. This is what the uninominal vote will be. The fact that the citizens will elect someone from their own community (will make the\u00a0deputies) take a higher responsibility towards those who sent them to Chi\u0219in\u0103u to represent them”<\/em>, says Sp\u00e2nu.<\/p>\n

What concerns the voting and the distribution of mandates in the Transnistrian region, he thinks the participation of those voters should be allowed in the same form as before- they\u00a0will have voting centers on the right bank of Nistru. Obviously, the lack of control over the Transnistrian territory would accordingly be\u00a0a barrier in making the elections a widespread process, but Chi\u0219in\u0103u should face the current situation. Moreover, the deputies coming from there, probably with different opinions, should be welcomed in the Parliament in Chi\u0219in\u0103u, because the majority from the right bank will mostly\u00a0decide on national policies.<\/p>\n

Regarding diaspora and its mandates in the Parliament, the ex-diplomat says that the Moldovans living abroad should not have their own MPs and instead, continue voting according to their previous residences in Moldova, despite the lack of online or absentee voting.<\/p>\n

Sp\u00e2nu admits that, in case no consensus is found on implementing the uninominal vote, the consensus will be directed to the mixed electoral system. More importantly, the new system would not provide an efficient and stable government, but, at least, try to replace the internal party dictatorships and might bring new people-\u00a0less vulnerable, less controlled.\u00a0<\/em>The new deputies would be liable to corruption, but the link with the communities would be stronger and would counterbalance, Sp\u00e2nu thinks.<\/p>\n

In connection to the early dismissal of MPs by referendum, Sp\u00e2nu declares that the method of choice is better than that of dismissal, suggesting that elections can be organized every three years, to\u00a0let the voters elect more often.<\/p>\n

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