Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-04-23-Speech-4-367"
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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, both the Council and the Parliament are following with great unease the events unfolding in Moldova in connection with the 5 April parliamentary elections. A significant political crisis has developed in our immediate neighbourhood, representing a serious challenge for the EU policy on Moldova and on the entire region in general. This factor is particularly worrying as the EU is at present preparing to launch the Eastern Partnership. It is in all of our interests to ensure that the situation in Moldova does not undermine implementation of the Eastern Partnership. We must make a clear distinction between the statements of President Voronin and the actions of political representatives on the one hand and the interests of Moldovan citizens on the other hand.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to end by emphasising that for many years Moldova has been one of the most advanced countries in Eastern Europe, in terms of its determination to uphold democratic standards and its willingness to draw closer to the EU. It is in our interests to help Moldova overcome the current crisis and to proceed further along this path. The Eastern Partnership will provide a new and ambitious framework for boosting EU assistance targeted at political and economic reforms in Moldova and other countries in that region. It is in all of our interests to ensure that democracy is strengthened in Moldova and that Moldova continues to draw closer to the European Union.
Immediately after the outbreak of violent protests in Kishinev on 7 April the EU sent its special representative Kalman Mizsei to Moldova. Since then Mr Mizsei has been trying hard to initiate political talks between the various Moldovan parties. The parties winning seats in the new parliament must agree on a realistic solution that respects democratic principles. Throughout the crisis the special representative has been in close touch with the Presidency and with High Representative Javier Solana.
You perhaps know that Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek also visited Kishinev yesterday. He called emphatically on the Moldovan authorities and on the opposition to enter into political dialogue. He met with President Voronin, with Prime Minister Greceanu and with opposition representatives. The main message delivered by the Presidency accorded fully with the long-term actions of Kalman Mizsei. There is a need to strengthen civil rights in Moldovan society, the government must enable civil society to function properly and it must guarantee freedom of expression and other basic human rights. Furthermore, it is essential for the Moldovan opposition to gain access to main media in order to put across their opinions and to engage in political contests on equal terms. On the other hand it is necessary for opposition representatives to cooperate constructively with the ruling party and to respect the election results. Prime Minister Topolánek, as the President of the European Council, stressed to all representatives the fundamental importance of always bearing the European perspective in mind. Moldova must not diverge from the path of democracy. Linking up with the Eastern Partnership project should strengthen Moldova on this path.
I would like to remind you that the official election result declared on 8 April was a victory for the Moldovan Communist Party, which won almost 50% of the votes. The remaining votes were shared between the three opposition parties. Based on this the communists would win 60 of the 101 seats in the new parliament. The preliminary assessment from the international election observation mission concluded that the election was valid, although reference was made to several problems that occurred during the campaign.
However, the opposition and a number of non-governmental organisations declared that the elections had been marred by fraud. Last week the Central Electoral Commission recounted the votes and concluded that the ruling Communist Party had indeed won 60 of the 101 seats in the parliament, thus confirming the results of the first count. According to the opposition, the main problem is not with the vote count but with electoral roles, which allegedly include several hundred thousand ‘dead souls’ or people who do not exist. The opposition is checking the electoral roles in order to produce evidence of this claim. According to a Commission spokesman, no signs of fraud were discovered during the recount. The opposition also pointed to the widespread exploitation of administrative resources by the governing party during the election campaign. The international election observers criticised the Moldovan authorities in this respect. The EU had warned the Moldovan authorities about this problem several times before the elections. Particular reference was made to the lack of press freedom and persecution of the opposition by repressive authorities.
Following the protests pressure increased sharply on the independent media. Journalists were arrested and persecuted. Some foreign journalists were expelled or prevented from entering the country. There is a further very serious reason for concern. During the crisis the Moldovan authorities committed serious violations of human rights. According to the reports almost 250 people were arrested following the violent protests on 7 April. Many of them, mostly young people, were beaten by the police, subjected to inhumane treatment and torture, denied access to legal assistance and not allowed to inform their families. Three young protesters died.
We made it very clear to the Moldovan authorities that such violations of human rights and media freedoms are unacceptable to the EU. The violence that took place in Kishinev is no justification for the cruel measures imposed by the state authorities. Moldova has adopted European norms and values through measures such as the EU-Moldova Action Plan. The EU has urgently called on the Moldovan authorities to uphold the principles of human rights and basic freedoms.
On 15 April Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin took a step in the right direction when he declared an amnesty for all persons arrested during the protests except for people with a previous criminal record. He also called for a transparent and proper investigation of the events. The investigation must be conducted in cooperation with the relevant European and international institutions. The human rights situation is being monitored closely on the ground by the EU and also by the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the UN. It is important that these operations are coordinated. The investigation in Moldova must include international participation in order to be considered reliable and fair. The sharp conflict and mistrust that has prevailed in Moldovan society over recent weeks can only be overcome through a transparent process.
It is essential to find a political solution to this crisis. Moldova is facing very serious economic problems arising from the global financial crisis. Continuing political turmoil would make it impossible for the country to tackle these economic problems. There is an urgent need for a functioning government. External assistance will also be required, including considerable IMF involvement. It is very important at this stage to look to a future beyond the immediate consequences of the current crisis and to consider what our policy should be towards Moldova. The crisis has shown clearly the need for consistent and ambitious measures to reinforce democratic standards and institutions in Moldova. Greater assistance will be required from the EU, focused on institution building through reform of the police and the judiciary and guaranteeing media freedoms and plurality. The agreement between Moldovan political parties on overcoming the current crisis should include a commitment to thoroughgoing reform in the areas mentioned."@en1
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