Resolution 103 (2000)¹ on regional democracy in Moldova

The Congress, having examined the proposal of the Chamber of Regions,

1. Recalling:

a. its Recommendation (38) 1998 on the situation of local and regional self-government in the Republic of Moldova, in which it formulated a number of comments addressed to the Moldovan parliamentary and governmental authorities;

b. its Resolution (59) 1998, in which it decided to continue monitoring the development of local and regional democracy in that country with a view to producing a final report;

2. Having taken note of the results of the official visits to Moldova in 1999 and 2000 by the rapporteurs of the relevant working groups in order to observe the various local and regional elections and implement the above-mentioned decision;

3. Having taken note of the report drafted by Mr Nicolae Radu (Romania, R) on regional democracy in Moldova, instructs its Bureau to address the recommendation which it adopted on the basis of this report to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of Moldova;

4. Concerning local aspects, welcomes the establishment by the above-mentioned authorities of a general legal framework for the full exercise of local self-government;

5. However, in view of the findings of the official visits by Mr George Lycourgos (Cyprus, L), rapporteur on the situation of local democracy in Moldova, concludes that it is not yet possible to finalise a report in this regard owing to the following circumstances:

a. other legislative instruments, for example the law on administrative disputes, have to be published and given effect in order to supplement the above-mentioned legal framework;

b. the specific legislative instruments already passed by Parliament (laws on local financing, the municipal heritage, the status of local elected representatives, etc.) are not yet fully operational, which makes an objective assessment of their scope and effectiveness particularly difficult;

6. In view of the above, instructs the Insitutional Committee of the Chamber of Local Authorities to resume consideration of local self-government in the Republic of Moldova and submit a final report to it as soon as possible;

7. Instructs its Bureau to consider organising a colloquy in Moldova on the problems posed by self-governing status in countries with a unitary structure;

8. Is prepared to participate with the Venice Commission in the activities of the working group on Gagauzia set up by the Moldovan authorities.