Moldovan Democrats propose switching to uninominal electoral system

Chisinau, 6 March /MOLDPRES/- The Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) will initiate switching to uninominal voting system of MPs. PDM leader Vlad Plahotniuc made the statement today at a news briefing held after a joint meeting of MPs and ministers Democrats.

Plahotniuc said that the new system would ensure “citizens’ control over politicians”, would allow citizens to choose “people and not party lists”, and each district will have representatives in parliament, elected from local communities. “The new electoral system will include possibility to revoke MP uninominal elected if he does not do duty to the citizens. Another advantage of the system will be representation of Moldovan diaspora in parliament, having for the first time ever their MPs in parliament in Chisinau”, he said.

Plahotniuc noted that PDM would carry out an awareness campaign of citizens on uninominal vote, and in parallel would conduct collecting signatures in favor of this voting system. “In the coming days, we will make this legislative initiative in parliament. The document will get the final vote in parliament only after approval by the Venice Commission and after we conduct public consultations with civil society and parliamentary and extra-parliamentary parties”, he said.

The uninominal vote is a type of election set in the legislation of electoral systems practiced in the USA and UK. It represents direct election of individual candidates, opposite to the election system on lists drawn up by the parties in the political life of a state.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor L. Alcază)