25% - "golden mean"

The adoption of parliamentarians’ final decision on the establishment of a 25 per cent turnout threshold for the presidential election was preceded by a broad public debate. In particular, members of the consultative assembly of the first Pridnestrovian deputies of the Chairman of the Supreme Council and the Union of Defenders of Pridnestrovie of Tiraspol made, by analogy with the Russian legislation, the abolition of turnout (Deputy Oleg Petrik proposed corresponding amendment). Vice-Speaker Galina Antyufeeva voiced the opinion to colleagues.

In preparation of the law-in-draft "On Amendments to the Electoral Code," the President proposed to reduce the turnout, but only up to 40%. Having discussed all arrived to the address of the relevant Committee of the Supreme Council on Legislation offers its members, however, recommended that the deputies agree with the authors of legislative initiative (the deputies Igor Buga and Andrei Safonov) and leave the level of attendance, which was adopted during consideration of the law-in-draft in the first reading - 25%.

Discussing this topic, the majority of deputies noted a safety option of adopted amendment that will not disrupt the presidential election, and therefore does not compromise Pridnestrovian statehood. Besides that the Deputies are convinced that the establishment of a new threshold turnout will not affect the will of pridnestrovians, who during the elections are traditionally show high civic activity.