Moldova’s controversial anti-discrimination bill has a new design
A new draft of the anti-discrimination bill was issued yesterday after several failed attempts of Parliamentary approval. The new bill discussed by the Moldovan Premier Vlad Filat together with Moldovan Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman and Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim.
The debated law has a new name. It is not the “anti-discrimination bill” anymore, but it is the “Law on equality of chances.” It also implies a couple of changes within its content, the intensely-debated phrase of “sexual orientation” not being mentioned in the first article of the draft bill.
Article 1, Line 1 of the newly established document says: “The goal of the hereby law is to prevent and fight discrimination, as well as assure the equality of chances and treatment to all persons residing on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in political, economic, social, cultural and other realms, without distinction based on race, color, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or belief, sex, age, disability, opinion, partisanship or any other similar criteria.”
A previous document presented the same statements but also enclosing another group of people who are discriminated based on their “sexual orientation.” The phrase did not fully disappear. It can be found in Article 7, Line 1 of the draft law.
“The prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation will be applied in the field of employment.”
Amnesty International Moldova expressed its dissatisfaction over the redrafted bill.
“Amnesty International Moldova condemns these amendments as they undermine the value of the Law for protection of Human Rights. Exclusion of the aforementioned terms strips those who consider themselves discriminated due to illness, poverty or sexual orientation of chances to have their rights remedied. Both the Anti-discrimination Council and courts will have their hands tied simply because the current version is an incomplete and inefficient mechanism for defense of Human Rights,” Amnesty International informs in a press release.
Executive Director of Amnesty International Moldova, Cristina Pereteatcu said that the Government’s move is regrettable and shows that they are incapable to defend their own legislative initiatives.
“Clearly, those in power are often forced to take decisions under pressure; however, leadership means capacity and courage to take responsible decisions without trade-offs in order to maintain one’s rating,” Ms. Pereteatcu said.
The international organization urges the national authorities to rectify last-minute changes.
The highly-debated draft law is one of the European Union’s requirements to Moldova in order to achieve a visa-free travel regime with the EU. If the law will be enacted (as of January 2013 as stated in the document), Moldova and the EU can move to the second round of negotiation regarding the program of free travel within the EU member states.
Moldovan Premier Vlad Filat said that he, together with the EU officials came to a ‘compromise solution’ and he is hopeful the new draft law will pass the Parliamentary approval.
“Europe does not entail requisites. They are not eager that we come to make them happy, but we want to be part of this European family,” Premier Vlad Filat said.
From the other side, the Head of the Moldovan Parliament Marian Lupu, the coalition partner of Vlad Filat, said that he will not hurry to vote on the new bill without prior public debate with the involvement of the civil society and churches.
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