Before the discussion in Parliament, the Permanent Electoral Authority announced that it was submitting for public consultation a draft that would replace Law no. 14/2003. The document proposes increasing the minimum number of founding members from three to 100, transferring the party registration procedure from the Bucharest Tribunal to the AEP, and details regarding the name, permanent symbol, and internal organization, including transparency and asset-recording obligations.
Even before politicians’ reactions, the draft was also supported by the Superior Council of Magistracy, through a statement by AEP President Adrian Țuțuianu: under the draft, applications would be examined in public hearings by panels within the AEP, with deadlines for resolution, while the dissolution of parties would remain with the courts (with the AEP having the right to refer the matter to the court).
In parallel, the AEP also announced another legislative initiative regarding the institution’s organization and functioning: according to the draft, the AEP leadership would be appointed entirely by Parliament for eight-year terms, while obstructing inspections could be sanctioned with fines ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 lei.
