Tiraspol, 23 May. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Supreme Council's committee on legislation has considered on second reading a draft law reducing the minimum vote turnover at the presidential election from 50 to 25 percent. Earlier this initiative was approved in the first reading, but now a number of amendments has been submitted to it. Thus, the president, who has given a negative opinion to the twofold reduction of the threshold turnover, proposes to set it at 40 percent. Deputy Oleg Petrik, in turn, has moved an amendment abolishing the threshold turnover. Committee members have differed on submitted amendments.
«I rather incline to people’s deputy Petrik's amendment. First, it conforms with the spirit of harmonising our legislation… I have always advocated the abolishment of the minimum turnout because these figures on the basis of quantities serve, in principle, as means of certain restriction," a committee member, Vitaly Kalin, voiced his position. He underscored that by abolishing the turnover threshold, Pridnestrovie will harmonise its legislation with the Russian one.
One of the co-authors of the bill, Andrey Safonov, has admitted that he also prefers Petrik's proposal, but it is premature due to Pridnestrovie's unrecognised status. «Such a compromise variant (25 percent, ed.) is based on the Nagorno-Karabakh experience, where the situation is also difficult. This will allow us to show that the voter turnout still matters, on the one hand, and exclude the possibility of disrupting the election, on the other," said the MP.
Oleg Belyakov, in turn, feels like supporting the president's position. According to the parliamentarian, the average turnout at the parliamentary and local elections which took place in November 2015 was 41 percent; therefore, there are no grounds to reduce the minimum turnover to under 40 percent. «There is no documented evidence that the Pridnestrovian population is sharply decreasing and that it may further decrease by seven percent from November 2015 to December 2016," Oleg Belyakov commented on the discussion.
«We live in the unrecognised state and must clearly understand that the president of the PMR protects the interests of the whole Pridnestrovian population… I believe that the minimum turnout of 40 percent is more appropriate for the country's image," added Oleg Belyakov.
He focused on the fact that a reduced turnout threshold may entail a reduction in citizens' electoral activity. «If we set the turnout at 25 percent, we create certain conditions for people to ignore the elections, thinking 'well, 25 percent — there is someone to vote for me'," said Belyakov.
Following the discussion, the committee has decided to recommend the parliamentary session to reject the president's amendment and set the minimum turnout at 25 percent.
