Moldovan president promises to block bill on changes to electoral system
CHISINAU. March 27 (Interfax) - Moldovan President Igor Dodon intends to block the government's initiative to make changes to the electoral system and shift to single-member constituencies, Dodon said.
"[I] have expressed my personal stance on possible alterations to the Electoral Code with regard to the introduction of single-member constituencies. [I] have pointed out that the president will block this initiative, if the parliament votes for it," Dodon said on Facebook on Monday.
He informed the European External Action Service's Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia Thomas Mayr-Harting about his stance during a meeting on Monday, Dodon said.
The issue of "the evolution of the Transdniestrian settlement" was also discussed at the meeting, he said. "A common stance of the president, the parliament and the government on this issue exists. The approach to resolving the issue should be a comprehensive one and it should be based on the Berlin protocol," the president said.
As reported, Moldova's ruling Democratic Party promotes the draft law it had developed on changes to the electoral system for the purpose of abandoning the existing party-list system of the parliamentary election in favor of elections in single-member constituencies. The pro-Dodon opposition Party of Socialists is opposing this initiative. Socialists believe that the government is trying to change the system to form the parliamentary majority by means of bribing deputies from singe-member constituencies.