{"id":444099,"date":"2017-07-20T01:12:07","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T01:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=444099"},"modified":"2017-07-20T01:12:07","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T01:12:07","slug":"moldova-opposition-calls-protest-controversial-electoral-system-change-included-parliaments-agenda-july-20th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/moldova-opposition-calls-protest-controversial-electoral-system-change-included-parliaments-agenda-july-20th\/","title":{"rendered":"Moldova opposition calls for protest against controversial electoral system change included in Parliament’s agenda for July 20th"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

The infamous and controversial draft on the mixed electoral system replacing the proportional one in Moldova comes up again in the center of attention. On July 19th, the Permanent Bureau of the Moldovan Parliament published the agenda of the session on July 20th. As it was previously suggested by Speaker Andrian Candu, the draft on the electoral system change<\/a> got its way to the 2nd hearing phase before the end of the summer shift of the Parliament.<\/p>\n

The introduction in the agenda comes despite the Venice Commission’s critical opinion<\/a> on the switch from proportional to mixed system- 51 MPs from districts, 50 from party lists. The draft was initially submitted by the Socialists, but then\u00a0combined<\/a>\u00a0with the draft law on the uninominal system of the Moldovan Democrats. Neither\u00a0uninominal<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0mixed systems<\/a>\u00a0have large support among the political parties and the civil society, except the Democratic and Socialists\u2019 Parties.<\/p>\n

The amended draft does not contain significant improvements compared to the first draft, even after the Venice Commission recommendations, declared law expert Valeriu Pa\u0219a for TV8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this light, several parties, such as “Our Party”, Action and Solidarity Party and the Platform “Dignity and Truth”, announced its members and supporters to protest against the electoral system change being voted on July 20th. The authorities shortly started to react by deploying police and “Fulger” special troops in the very neighboring area of the Parliament of Moldova.<\/p>\n

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Several structures and fences were brought in the square outside the building of the Parliament, presumably to bar the protesters.<\/p>\n

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Fearing the voting would be held in the evening of July 19th, representatives of “Our Party” started to gather in the late evening calling on the authorities to drop the draft law on electoral system change.<\/p>\n

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According to Newsmaker.md<\/a>, around 50 people joined the sitting protest of “Our Party” and shouted slogans against the chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Vlad Plahotniuc.<\/p>\n\n

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Source: \u0410\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0430\u043d\u0434\u0440\u0430 \u0411\u0430\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430\/NM<\/p><\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, the police forces had to encircle the building of the Moldovan Parliament.<\/p>\n

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Source: Facebook\/Nicolae Josan<\/p><\/div>\n

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Source: Facebook\/Nicolae Josan<\/p><\/div>\n\n

At some point, the police retained two members of “Our Party” from the protesting crowd.<\/p>\n