{"id":445420,"date":"2018-03-28T18:48:54","date_gmt":"2018-03-28T18:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=445420"},"modified":"2018-03-28T18:48:54","modified_gmt":"2018-03-28T18:48:54","slug":"congress-local-authorities-council-europe-situation-local-democracy-substantially-deteriorated-moldova","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/congress-local-authorities-council-europe-situation-local-democracy-substantially-deteriorated-moldova\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress of Local Authorities of the Council of Europe: Situation of local democracy has substantially deteriorated in Moldova"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

27 March 2018- The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on the fact-finding mission on the situation of local elected representatives in Moldova.\u00a0The mission aimed at gathering information about the case of the suspended mayor of Chi\u0219in\u0103u<\/a>, Dorin Chirtoaca, was carried out at the request of the Monitoring Committee and initiated by complaints formulated by the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM).<\/p>\n

Presented by Belgian Marc Cools and Norwegian Gunn Marit Helgesen,\u00a0the report<\/a> highlights that the situation of local democracy has substantially deteriorated in Moldova since the last Congress monitoring report (2012) and the way the local recall referendum was carried out, targeting the Mayor of Chi\u0219in\u0103u entailed the dysfunction of local governance in the capital city and more broadly affected the functioning of local democracy.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cools and Helgesen expressed concern regarding the lack of a clear legal basis on the suspension of a local elected official and the inadequate consultation with CALM. The co-rapporteurs found that the situation in Moldova goes against the art. 8.3 and 3.2 of the Charter on the freely elected members of councils and assemblies.<\/p>\n

The Congress recommended Moldova to examine the Court proceedings against local elected representatives and to revise the Moldovan legislation, and notably the Electoral code, to ensure that local elected representatives manage their municipalities freely and are not exposed to judicial harassment.\u00a0<\/em>According to the rapporteurs, the anti-corruption fight is used as a ground for a large number of criminal prosecutions against local officials:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe correct equilibrium between local public interest and the fight against corruption must be found, and the dialogue between the national Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova and the government should be resumed with the help of a regular formalised consultation process and in accordance with the Charter and Resolution 328\u201d, Helgesen concluded.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n