Moldova is a republic with a multi-party representative government. Power is shared by the President, Cabinet and Parliament. The election, held on the basis of universal suffrage, was considered free and fair, though the media coverage of the campaign was "not satisfactorily equitable." Parliament elects the President by a three-fifths vote, and the President appoints the Prime Minister, who chooses a Cabinet. Parliament approves the choice of both the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Communist Party leader was re-elected as President, and the main parties elected to the legislature are the Communist Party, the three-party Democratic Moldova Bloc and the Christian Democratic People's Party.

There are 21 women in the 101-seat Parliament and 2 women in the 19-member Cabinet. There are 26 members of ethnic minorities in Parliament and 4 in the cabinet. Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Azeri, and Gagauz minorities are all represented.

The Moldovan judiciary is independent in law, but the judiciary is subject to interference and reportedly corrupt. Allegations include bribes for reduced sentences and political influence. Evidence obtained illegally is permitted in court, and security agencies monitor communications.

All persons are equal before the law regardless of race, sex, disability or social origin, but discrimination is reported against various groups.

Police are accused of using cruel and degrading interrogation techniques. Transparency International reports that corruption is a severe problem in Moldova.

Access to information is provided in law but denied in practice. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed legally, but journalists report self-censorship as a result of intimidation. Journalists can face libel suits under the civil code, and public figures use civil defamation laws to lodge complaints about news coverage. Despite this, a wide variety of political views and commentary is available. Foreign publications do not have a wide circulation because of their cost. The Internet is not restricted.

Trafficking in persons is reported as a very serious problem in Moldova. Some government officials are accused of being complicit in trafficking. Investigations have been initiated against government officials. Moldova is a source country for women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation and for men and children trafficked to neighbouring countries for forced labour and begging. Victims are mainly from rural areas, where economic desperation drives them to look for work abroad.

The ILO reports that Roma are responsible for much of the trafficking of children. Orphans must leave orphanages when they reach age 16. No provision is made for their expenses. Orphanage directors reportedly sell information to traffickers about when orphan girls will leave the orphanage, and they are picked up as they leave. A Law on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons has been enacted to assist victims. NGOs have developed programmes for public schools to try to warn of trafficking.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation is reported. Negative media portrayal and condemnation by the Orthodox Church encourages discrimination against homosexuals. Gay children are reported to be asked to leave home by their parents, and villages shun the family of a gay child. Schoolteachers and university professors have been dismissed for their sexual orientation, and police are accused of bribing gays and lesbians with public exposure. NGOs report discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS, particularly in rural villages.

Russian military forces remaining in eastern Moldova declared a Transdniester Moldovan Republic (Transnistria) inhabited by some 580,000 people who live between the Dniester River and Ukraine but who were not permitted to vote in the election. Elections to the Transnistrian Supreme Soviet were held, but international observers were not permitted to be present. Transnistrian authorities are accused of harassing detainees critical of the regime. In Transnistria authorities harass newspapers when they criticise the regime, and Moldovan newspapers are not available in Transnistria. Homosexuality is illegal in Transnistria.

Supplementary payments are made to large families to assist with education costs. Free, compulsory and universal education is available to age 15. Schools charge parents for school supplies, particularly in rural areas. Charging fees is against government policy, but parents who cannot pay withdraw their children from school. Under an OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) agreement, the Transnistrian authorities introduced Latin script into schools at the start of the new school year. Transnistrian authorities had used threats of violence to force schools that teach in the Romanian language to use Cyrillic rather than Latin script.

Moral and spiritual instruction is mandatory for primary school students but optional for secondary and university students. Parental consent is required for students receiving religious education.

A 3-year programme begins at age 4. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 48%. All 9,797 ECE teachers are women, and 93% of them are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 10 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 16. Primary school begins at age 7 and continues for 4 years. The NER is 78% (49% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 90% reach the last grade of primary school. There are 10,493 primary teachers (98% female). The PTR is 19 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 11 and is completed in 7 years. At this level 1% of education is private. 22% of students in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 69%. There are 31,335 secondary teachers, 23,464 (77% female) in lower secondary and 7,849 (71% female) in upper secondary education. The PTR is 13 : 1 in lower secondary and 13 : 1 in upper secondary education.

There are 126,885 students (57% female) in tertiary institutions, for a Gross Enrolment Rate of 32%. At this level 22% of education is private. 2,502 foreign students are studying in Moldova, coming from Central and Eastern Europe (1,537), the Arab States (842), North America and Western Europe (93), Asia (28) and Sub-Saharan Africa (2). At the same time 7,784 Moldovan students study abroad, mainly in Romania (4,111), the Russian Federation (1,267), Germany (597), France (463) and Bulgaria (382).

Although the law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical and mental disabilities, such discrimination is reportedly widespread, including against students with disabilities. The situation of children is desperate in orphanages, which have terrible problems even providing food or heat in the winter and stopping the spread of disease among the children. Some 11,500 children are in institutions. Not all are orphans; some are sent by parents who cannot feed them or who are leaving the country to look for work. Parents of about 20,000 children work abroad and have placed their children in boarding schools or left them with relatives.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status to persons in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. Asylum-seekers and refugees in Moldova come from some 20 countries, including the Russian Federation, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. Internally displaced persons from Transnistria have been assisted by the UNHCR, including with the provision of education.

Ukrainians and Russians are the 2 largest minorities. The Gagauz, a Turkic minority, makes up a small percentage of the population living in the Gagauz Autonomous Region. The number of Roma is reported at 11,600, but NGOs believe the number is higher.

Roma are subject to violence, harassment and discrimination. The European Roma Rights Centre reports discrimination in housing, education and access to public services. The Roma are the poorest of the minority groups and live in segregated communities. Roma children commonly endure segregated education and schools with even fewer resources than those elsewhere in the country. Not many attend primary school, and even fewer attend secondary school. Education in the Romani language is not available.

Romanian is the official language in Moldova, but Russian is used for interethnic communication. Parents choose the language of instruction for their children. Discrimination against Romanian speakers is reported in Transnistria, where authorities refused to observe the country's language law requiring the use of Latin script. Teachers, parents and students objected to this refusal since it penalises students who wish to pursue higher education in other parts of the country or in countries using the Latin script. Under an OSCE-negotiated formula, Transnistrian authorities will allow Latin script in schools located in Transnistria but registered with the Moldovan Ministry of Education. These schools began the 2005 school year using Latin script. Police had closed the Latin-script schools in 2004 for violation of the Transnistrian law.

The law provides formally for academic freedom, but indications are that it is based on the system followed while Moldova was part of the former USSR. Complaints are made of a state monopoly over the content of the subjects taught as well as the imposition of outdated educational plans and methods. Strict control over teaching methodology expresses a lack of confidence in the capacity and qualifications of teachers. The absence of an objective evaluation system is also as a concern in higher education.

Women and men have equal rights in law; women constitute half the work force and receive equal pay for work of equal value. However, few women have high-paying jobs. Sexual harassment is not prohibited in law and is a problem. Domestic violence is widespread. There are reports of trafficking of young women and a growing sex tourism industry in upscale hotels in the capital, Chisinau, mainly targeting young women aged 15 to 24.

The minimum age for employment is 18. Minors aged 16 and 17 are permitted to work under specified conditions, such as shorter workdays, no night work and longer vacations. Legislation prohibiting the worst forms of child labour is not enforced. Children in rural areas work in the fields. Trafficking in children is a very serious problem. The ILO has a programme to strengthen anti-trafficking committees, establish youth centres and train employers' and trade unions' representatives to monitor child labour practices.

Workers have the right to form or join trade unions, and about half the work force is unionised. 2 union confederations, the independent Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (TUCM) and the government-sponsored Confederation of Free Trade Unions Solidaritate (Solidarity) vie for members, with the government reportedly pressed union members to move to the latter. The government continues to put pressure on local teachers' unions to leave the TUCM and join Solidaritate. Requests for the government to stop interfering in the internal affairs of the union movement have gone unheeded. Collective bargaining is permitted, and workers outside essential services have the right to strike. Labour laws apply in export processing zones.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited but occurs. The minimum monthly wage US$16 (200 lei) for public sector employees and US$44 (550 lei) for private sector employees does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family.