Thousands of Moldovans marched on July 30 in Chisinau, showing their disapproval of the recently endorsed changes to the electoral system and asking for the bill turning the country’s electoral system into a mixed one to be repealed. 

Moldova’s parliament endorsed a new electoral law on July 20 that stipulates that lawmakers will be elected under a mixed proportional-majority system. Critics say the new system will favour the ruling Democratic Party (PD) and make it easier for businesspeople to influence politicians. The bill has already been promulgated by President Igor Dodon.

The protest started in front of the parliament’s headquarters from where the participants marched to the headquarters of the pro-Russian Socialist Party (PSRM), the interior ministry, whose leaders the protesters accuse of aiding the ruling majority, and the headquarters of the PD, headed by the unpopular oligarch Vlad Pahotniuc, radiochisinau.md reported.

The protesters adopted a resolution addressed to European institutions asking for the leaders of the PD, the PSRM and European Popular Party of Moldova, as well as all the MPs who backed the new law to be sanctioned and banned from entering EU states until the bill is cancelled.

The march was attended by Maia Sandu, the leader of the pro-EU Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) and Andrei Nastase, the head of Dignity and Truth Political Party (PPDA).

Carrying Moldovan flags, the participants chanted slogans such as “No to mixed voting”, “PD and PSRM, the same mafia” and “Thieves”. At the PSRM headquarters, the crowd chanted “Dodon, don’t forget, you have your own cell,” accusing President Dodon and his party of treason, jurnal.md reported.

“Dodon is not our president, he is Plahotniuc’s president,” Sandu said.

“They voted for the mixed system and then celebrated […] We have ensured our right to change them at the future parliamentary elections in 2018. Later it might be too late,” the PAS leader, according to jurnal.md.

A new protest was announced for September 17.

The new law was adopted despite the Venice Commission’s saying it was not advisable. The Venice Commission’s report showed that the reform could potentially have a negative effect at the constituency level, where independent majoritarian candidates may develop links with or be influenced by businesspeople or others with vested interests.

The Venice Commission also warned that the proposed transfer of responsibility for control over campaign finance as well as of a number of aspects of the electoral process from the CEC to District Electoral Councils and the involvement of district courts, would pose further challenges to effective control and supervision, including a lack of appropriate resources.