/noticias.info/ Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ten years have passed away since the young Moldovan State, first in the former USSR zone, here before this honourable audience applied to be accepted in the great family of European democracies. Today, the Republic of Moldova that went through the transition experience and reached the adolescence still passes the exam for the democratic maturity.
There are ten years since the European values and traditions stepped on the way of irreversibility in Moldova, ten years, during which Moldova have not already felt alone on the path of its sovereign affirmation.
During a decade of its membership in the Council of Europe, the Republic of Moldova managed to make important progresses in practical implementation of democratic principles and values. Nevertheless we realize that much still remains to be done. A great part of that already implemented owes especially to the guiding role of the Council of Europe, from which the Republic of Moldova had and still have only to learn, and the accumulated knowledge is to be applied yet. We understand that it's time to get through the way we have stepped for a decade, considering the monitoring stage as an initial form of cooperation with the Council of Europe in the enlargement and diversification prospects of this partnership.
Therefore, due to awareness of stringency to resolve more consequently the problems faced by the Moldovan society, it was possible in the current composition of the Moldovan Parliament to achieve a national consensus concerning implementation of the essential goals for country's destiny. And namely: the reform of the democratic institutions, the European integration and peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. By virtue of the responsibility born before citizens the new parliamentary corps launched a number of actions to implement these objectives, among which there were the creation of ad hoc working groups enabled to examine and improve legislation in the priority areas to reform and harmonize it with the European standards.
Thus, in order to ensure transparency, a basic democratic principle of activity of the high representative body, it has been taken a decision to broadcast live all plenary sessions of the Parliament to the national radio and television stations, as well as to place on the Parliament's official web site the verbatim records of these sessions.
Having regard the need to develop an independent press, the destatization of mass media has been applied, a first step in this direction is the renouncement by the Executive to be a founder of the governmental newspapers.
A special attention has been paid to the enhancement of principles of independence and autonomy of the judiciary by introducing some amendments in the current legislation. Thus, the overall majority of members of the High Council of Magistracy, guarantor of the judicial independence, will be elected henceforth by the General Meeting of Judges in the Republic of Moldova.
As a follow up of the democratic reforms implementation the legislation on secret service has also been reviewed depriving it from the right to make criminal investigations and to have at its command the preliminary detention institutions.
In the light of the recommendations of the Venice Commission the electoral law has been amended by lowering the electoral threshold to enter the Parliament for different categories of candidates, as well as by introducing more democratic proceedings to appoint members of the Central Electoral Committee, most of its members to be proposed by opposition.
However, I assure you that these achievements are not just some limitative examples and nowise an epilog in the implementation of reforms. On this precious occasion, I would like to inform you that for the autumn session of this year the Moldovan Parliament has established a Program concerning the legal acts that are to be amended according to the draft resolution of the Monitoring Committee.
Therefore, the legislation on Judiciary, Prosecutors Office, Functioning of the Parliament, Audiovisual, Local Public Administration is also to be brought in compliance with the European standards, inclusively the status of Tele-Radio Moldova Public Company and the status of Chisinau municipality will be reviewed. In this context, I would like to express my satisfaction concerning the launching of the Joint Program of the Council of Europe and European Commission for the Republic of Moldova that will surely contribute both to honoring the commitments before the Council of Europe and implementing of the European Union ? Moldova Action Plan.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you know, one of the most painful problems that burden the democratic affirmation of the Republic of Moldova is the Transnistrian conflict. I am insisting on this subject because I am convinced that the major developments that occurred on the domestic and regional levels begin to contribute substantially to the real settlement of the conflict. The Ukrainian Plan for Settlement of the Transnistrian Conflict is eloquent in this respect, as well as the involvement of the European Union and the USA into the negotiations.
In its turn, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has adopted a declaration to support the Ukrainian initiative and two appeals on demilitarization and democratization of the Transnistrian region, after that it also adopted the Law on the Main Provisions of a Special Legal Status for Populated Areas on the Left Bank of Dniestr. In this context, after the democratization and demilitarization of the region, it is planned to hold free and democratic elections under the auspices of an international electoral commission where the Council of Europe will also play an active monitoring role. Moreover, I express the wish that this prestigious European forum to be more dynamically involved henceforth into promoting of the democratic principles in the region.
A special place in the Parliamentary working agenda is given to the collaboration with the civil society. In this sense, in the spirit of democratic experience of the Council of Europe and European Union, the concept of collaboration between the Parliament and civil society is being finalized, and will be proposed to be discussed by public opinion in the nearest future.
Honorable Audience,
With Your permission, I express my conviction that the most important thing, however, is not the number of arrears, but the fact that the current national consensus achieved in the Parliament, meant to be an instrument to overcome political crises and to ensure a constructive political stability, is a reliable and persuasive premise to fulfill all commitments before the Council of Europe. In this context, I would like to express my gratitude for the support we benefited up to now, hoping, at the same time, that the assistance will be extended in the future. I would like to note that in the nearest future the Moldovan Legislative will come with a number of proposals in different areas.
Machiavelli, a great thinker of the humankind, said that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order to things. However, I would like to assure you that by virtue of our presence in the European family, but in particular, our wish to bring prosperity to our people, we will go without any hesitation on the way of democratic reforms. In the context of this affirmation, I urge the high forum ? the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ? to give support to my country by voting the Monitoring Committee draft resolution and draft recommendations, the fact that will bring us closer to the desirable moment of passing to the following stage of cooperation with the Council of Europe, and namely that of the post-monitoring.
Thank you for your attention
 |
