Over 600 people from across the country attended the Regional Parliamentary Forums "Dialogue with citizens"

During the last eight months, around 600 people and 26 MPs of Moldova, members of different parliamentary committees and factions, participated in 15 Forums that took place in all key regions of the country. As a direct result of the forums, the issues that were addressed within these dialogues were heard by the parliamentarians and some of the solutions turned out into new legislative initiatives.

The Balti Forum was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, Liliana Palihovici, as well the member of the Committee on National Security, Defense and Public Order; Marina Radvan, member of the Committee on Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sports and Media; Elena Bodnarenco, member of the Committee on Public Administration, Regional Development, Environment and Climate Change; and Elena Hrenova, member of the Committee on Social Protection, Health and Family. The forum was also attended by the Head of the Direction on Regional Information from the Secretariat of the Parliament of Moldova, Stefan Mocanas and the Head of the Parliamentary Constituency Information Office (PCIO) from Edinet, Stela Belitei.

The participants addressed issues related to the revision of salaries in the health and public administration sectors, particularly for young professionals, to transparency in granting funds for regional development, revision of the Law on Local Public Administration, and ways to support young entrepreneurs.



When opening the Forum, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, Liliana Palihovici announced the latest laws voted by the Parliament, namely the Electoral Code that was voted in the second reading and which includes the rules for electing the President of Moldova. "We have a shorter election campaign and a shorter period for collecting signatures by the candidates; every citizen has the right to sign for only one candidate," declared the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament. The MP Elena Bodnarenco added to the same topic that "the legislative project on the status of the Municipality of Chisinau, that will have a direct impact on Bali status, was approved in the second reading".

The MP Marina Radvan welcomed the Forum organization initiative as "such meetings help in finding out what are the most important problems of the society and their specifics, so as subsequently legislative initiatives that would come to improve the lives of people in the country occur".

Other topics related to the lack of financial resources for purchase of medicines and lack of the Russian translation of the pharmaceutical leaflets, especially for pensioners. It was proposed to open social pharmacies which would be accessible to the elderly.

On the issue of Pedagogical College "Ion Creanga" from Balti, which is meant to be closed and where 95% of workers are women, the MP Maria Radvan said that it was already discussed in the Parliament twice and she ensured the citizens that they will not give it up on this topic.

Stefan Mocanas referred to the importance of the Parliamentary Constituency Information Offices in Moldova. "We wish that this initiative has a two-way direction, so as not only we come with information for citizens, but the citizens also come with questions and proposals to set up audiences with MPs” said Mocanas. While Stela Belitei, the PCIO Edinet Head, expressed hope that the PCIOs will achieve their ultimate goal and other similar offices would be created in several regions of the country".

The program of deinstitutionalization was also discussed at the Balti Forum. The idea to increase funding for the creation of social housing in Balti and for projects to support women in business, thereby increasing the economic development of the region and creating new jobs, has been also proposed.

This Regional Parliamentary Forum was organized with the support of the UN Programme "Women in Politics" in partnership with the Joint Platform for Dialogue of the Women Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and the Secretariat of the Parliament. At the end of each forum a summary of the discussions to be sent for review to the MPS is drafted. So far, similar Regional Parliamentary Forums were held in Orhei, Leova, Edinet, Ungheni, Comrat Ialoveni, Calarasi, Soroca, Glodeni, Rezina, Cahul, Causeni, Taraclia, Cimislia and in Balti.

The UN Programme "Women in Politics" is implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with East Europe Foundation (EEF) and „Partnership for Development” Center (CPD), funded by the Government of Sweden.