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Representatives of the OSCE-ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, based in Warsaw) evaluation mission have started their activity in Moldova. They are going to assess the need for a long term and short term observation mission (LTO, STO) of the parliamentary elections of March 6, 2005.

The Committee for Defense of Human and Professional Dignity (CADUP), created six months ago to protest against the modality of transformation of “Teleradio Moldova” Company into a public broadcaster, has decided to engage in the observance of the electoral process “with no support to any candidates”. According to the electoral legislation,CADUP, which has recently ben registered at the Ministry of Justice will be allowed to accredit electoral observers only if its statute clearly stipulates so, or if its main goal is the protection of human rights, otherwise CADUP will have to accredit its observers through other specialized organizations.

The Press office of the Social Democrat Party has informed about the complaints and appeals PSDM filed to the Central Electoral Commission and the court of law on the decision of 2 private television channels PRO TV Chisinau and “Pervii kanal v Moldove” not to broadcast electoral advertisement.

PSDM considers that the refusal of the two TV channels came as a result of the pressure put by the ruling party, which is interested in creating an informational vacuum in order to preserve its positive image and the negative image of the opposition, which existed before the start of the election campaign, by abusing the public media.

The directors of these TV channels denied any involvement of authorities in their decision-making.

In a congress organized by the Party of Social and Economic Justice (PDSE) on the 19th of January, General Nicolae Alexei, ex-director of the Department to Combat Organized Crime and Corruption, (DCCOC ) was elected president of this party. He announced that the party would run in the elections with their main slogan “fighting corruption”.

This event drew attention due to several reasons:

1. General Alexei became Member of Parliament with the Popular Cristian Democrat Party (PPCD). Moreover, another current member of parliament from PPCD, Iulian Glavan, and Dumitru Osipov, parliamentary advisor and ex -member of PPCD joined PDSE, the latter being also chief of electoral staff of PDSE;
2. PDSE had long been in the process of liquidation but has recently been reanimated at the very start of election campaign;
3. Although General Alexei became MP with an image of fighter against corruption, on January 15, 2004 was convicted by the Supreme Court of Justice to 5 year suspended prison term. He was also deprived of the right to hold “official posts” for three years.
4. He was convicted based on charges of abuse and misappropriation of funds during his tenure at DCCOC, pressed by Prosecuter General
5. It is unlikely that the Ministry of Justice will approve of Alexei’s position of PDSE leader, since the governmental newspaper Moldova Suverana wrote that “the congress was attended by many schoolchildren from several educational institutions in the capital”. The Ministry of Justice created a precedent by refusing to confirm Nicolae Andronic as president of the Peasants Cristian Democrat Party (PTCD) on grounds quite unexplicit in the law on parties.

Independent press alleged that PDSE’s reanimation and decision tor un in elections, headed by General Alexei aim at undermining the position of PPCD. These allegations are based on a statement Alexei made one and a half years ago in which he praised the head of the state for his consistent fight against corruption, statement which allegedly convinced the president to annul the General’s sentence.

On January 20, 2005, the electoral Bloc “Patria-Rodina” gave a press-conference in which it announced their start of election campaign, presenting the platferm and the list of candidates.

Its leaders said the bloc of 2 parties of socialist orientation will pass the 9% threshold.

Their main platform ideas are: strengthening independence of the Republic of Moldova, accesiion to the Common Economic Space of the CIS, revigoration of industry, consolidation of agricultural land, resolution of the Transnistrian conflict.