Joint Opinion on the Electoral Code of Moldova, as amended on 22 July, 4 and 17 November 2005

The Moldovan electoral system and its Electoral Code have been subject to a number of recommendations for improvement, by the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe over the past years. The most comprehensive set of such recommendations is found in the document called Joint Recommendations on the Electoral Law and the Electoral Administration in Moldova of 12 July 2004 (CDL-AD(2004)027), hereinafter called “the Joint Recommendations”. The document, however, makes it clear that it focuses on the questions arising from local elections and will in general not develop aspects specific to parliamentary elections, such as the existence of a single constituency. Another set of recommendations is given in the Venice Commission Opinion on the Election Law of the Republic of Moldova, 16 January 2003 (CDL-AD(2003)001), hereinafter called “the Opinion on the Election Law”.