13/09/2024 Monitoring
In an information note declassified by the Monitoring Committee on 11 September, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of the Republic of Moldova, Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC) and Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica (Latvia, EPP/CD), expressed their concern at “the exponential increase in attempts by the Russian Federation to interfere in the domestic politics and electoral processes in the Republic of Moldova”. This information note follows their visit to Chișinău from 1 to 3 July 2024.
In view of the forthcoming presidential election and constitutional referendum on 20 October, the co-rapporteurs are particularly concerned about the “large influx of Russian money into the Republic of Moldova” with the aim to buy votes and subvert the democratic process, and called on Council of Europe member states to be alert to this and to take all necessary precautions to counteract such malicious practices.
Noting that postal voting from abroad is only being introduced on a trial basis for these elections, and only concerns a limited number of voters, the co-rapporteurs consider that the introduction of postal voting so shortly before the elections, as well as the lack of transparency and consensus on the countries selected for the trial, are of concern.
With regard to the reform of the judiciary, aimed at ensuring its independence and efficiency, the co-rapporteurs welcomed the appointment of the Prosecutor General, therewith fulfilling one of the key remaining conditions to start EU accession negotiations.
However, they deplored pushbacks from within the judiciary against the judicial reforms and recalled that the vetting procedures for judges and prosecutors were “key mechanisms to combat the still prevalent corruption among the judiciary” and to ensure the integrity of these institutions
The co-rapporteurs will return to the Republic of Moldova as part of the election observation mission of the Assembly of which they are ex officio part.