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After more than 16 years of independence, increased human rights protection is finally becoming a reality in PMR

TIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - Pridnestrovie's new ombudsman, less than a year into his post, just got new powers.

At the plenary session members of Parliament approved amendments to the Regulations on PMR Human Rights Ombudsman Office. The amendments propose changes to the structure of the ombudsman office and duties of a staff, in a move which strengthens the role of the ombudsman and gives the office added powers to enforce human rights legislation.

The ombudsman's duty is to oversee the implementation and observance of constitutional guarantees, and to act as a watchdog for human rights in Pridnestrovie.

Despite a lack of international recognition, Pridnestrovie - or Transnistria, as it is also known - functions for all practical purposes as a separate, independent state.

The post was created by Pridnestrovie's Parliament last year as part of a series of sweeping reforms aiming to bring local legislation closer to European standards.

In secret voting on 7 June, the ombudsman was chosen from an initial list of 3 candidates. 33 of the 43 members of parliament (76%) voted in favor of human rights lawyer Vasiliy Kalko.

The Ombudsman office functions with complete autonomy. It is not a government department in the sense that it does not take orders from any branch of government. When human rights are abused, or when it is alerted to possible abuse of authority, the ombudsman is entitled to independently take action to correct the situation through both executive and legislative authorities.

See also:
» Opposition-controlled parliament appoints new ombudsman for human rights [1]
» Transnistrian authorities harass opposition lawmakers, US report says [2]