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Vasile Grozavu, who introduced himself as former advisor of the AMN leader Serafim Urechean, has held a press conference and said that he will ask more than half a million Euros from Urechean as a compensation for violated copyright. According to Grozavu, the book “Ramin al vostru” (I stay yours) by Serafim Urechean and disseminated as an electoral material contains articles republished from newspapers “without any contract.” Grozavu said that he has been the unremunerated advisor of Urechean for three years and decided to tender his resignation because he disagrees with the compiled electoral lists of AMN, describing them as a grouping. In his turn, AMN spokesman Victor Osipov replied that AMN rejects the accusations brought by Grozavu. “It is true that he has insisted to serve the party. He was listened and supported humanly. He failed the chance and now he behaves like a coward and liar.” (according to OMEGA agency)

Fifteen Moldovan nongovernmental organisations have brought together to make an association called Civic Control — Elections 2009, which will be an alternative to the existing Coalition 2009, a successor of Coalition 2005. Members of the Civic Control — Elections 2009 do not speak on behalf of themselves, but claim to represent the civil society: Civil society says that it does not believe reports by Coalition 2009?! According to Alexandr Barbov, executive director of the Civil Control — Elections 2009 Coalition, “the Coalition 2005 included some members of political parties, not political supporters. An example was Dorin Chirtoaca, who was deputy chairman of PL then.” The association pledges to help enhancing the civic activism, control the respect for rights and prevent breaches on voters’ rights. In the electoral period, the association will monitor programmes aired by national TV channels, printed media and radio channels. Barbov noted that the Civic Control — Elections 2009 will be funded by founding NGOs, in order to be unbiased and equidistant. The alternative coalition will train 200 independent observers who will monitor the voting at polling stations on the Election Day. (according to OMEGA agency)

Alexandr Barbov, leader of the project Civic Control — Elections 2009, has stated that this project was launched as a response to “defective and faulty” reports by the Coalition 2009, which “did not consider the foreign funding to Moldovan parties.” Barbov “took the bull by the horns”, but fell short of revealing how the new association will identify and prove the external funding to parties. But it may begin with identifying internal funding sources to parties, in order to ensure a loud success of the Civic Control — Elections 2009 project. The latest and loudest case reported by the media was related to a political party which has built a huge headquarter in the Chisinau downtown. Questions raised by the media such as how the field was got, who and how the construction was funded, how credits were released etc., were not answered. The activity of the Coalition 2009 will be compromised, shall the Civic Control — Elections 2009 prove shortcomings of party funding. Even more, there are verifiable materials, which Alexandr Barbov and his fellows could easily check, and which certify that the above mentioned party has printed 10 million copies of its party press body during the 2005 electoral campaign (in 10 weeks, two circulation of 250,000 copies each, in Romanian and Russian, and the production cost of an issue was approximately 0.6 lei), exceeding the electoral quota of 5 million lei set by CEC. Besides press-related expenses, that party spent funds for staff, transport, advertising etc. A simplest estimation would prove that the party concerned has exceeded much the CEC-set quota, and it should have been excluded from electoral race for this reason. Knowledgeable sources in Coalition 2009 which spoke under anonymity and formerly proved to be right said that as a sign of civic solidarity they may provide the Civic Control — Elections 2009 with all data needed to identify the party concerned.

The Youth Organisation of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) has picketed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, demanding the signing of the Convention on small cross-border traffic and respect for the right to free circulation. PLDM members carried a banner calling for “Green Light to Free Circulation!” Young people carried stylised lights featuring the permission to circulate freely and placards sending messages such as “Yes to Convention!”; “People will not give up, the battle is not over!”; “You decide in your country!”; “Green light to free circulation!”. As well, PLDM continued the campaign “Reverse counting for communist governance”. A group of liberal democratic youths held a 15-minute picket at presidential headquarters, carrying charts to inform the chief of state “how many days are left till the end of the communist governance.”

According to AMN spokesman Victor Osipov, an unprecedentedly high number of violations are recorded during the ongoing electoral campaign. “The number and ampleness of breaches committed at the beginning of the electoral campaign by the Party of Communists and its allies, by the red-orange media cartel and state authorities used by the incumbent governing for electoral interests, is so high that opposition parties altogether are not capable to collect facts and signal them to electoral bodies.” AMN had to supplement the teams of lawyers in charge with assessing these cases and editing contestations which will be submitted to electoral bodies. Osipov noted that AMN has already submitted nearly 20 contestations to the Central Electoral Commission.

PSD candidates have met a group of approximately 500 supporters from the rayon of Leova. The meeting discussed issues which have a major impact on electors from this rayon, in particular, gasification of the district, lack of subsidies for farmers, dissemination of external aid to farmers. It also approached matters such as: renovation of roads, cultural facility and kindergarten; land processing; and why the contribution to the social fund has increased much while the volume of healthcare services did not change.

The Party of Spiritual Development “Moldova Unita (United Moldova)” (PDSMU) has presented its electoral offer “State for people, not people for state!” at the headquarters of Moldpress agency. Priorities of the electoral platform include among others the transformation of the Republic of Moldova into a modern European country, protection of people’s rights, economic rebirth of the country and transformation of agriculture into a priority sector for the state. At external level, PDSMU calls for maintaining a strategic partnership with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, as well as with some EU members.

At the same time, leaders of the Nisporeni-based PDSMU branch said, at the sitting hall of another news agency, that they quit the party and join the “Actiunea Europeana (European Action)” Socio-Political Movement (MAE). One of them, Mihai Cicariov stated that 50 persons withdraw from PDSMU. They said that “Moldova Unita” is a pro-Russia party, the congress of the party and sittings are organised in Russian, ignoring the objective proclaimed when the party was constituted. According to Cicariov, MAE is the only political party capable to help Moldova survive in the serious crisis that hits the whole country. (According to Info-Prim Neo)

The Conservative Party promotes the priority values: life of people, welfare and dignity of people, family and Christian tradition, patriotism and faith to the country, unity of nation regardless of ethnic, religion and political convictions. The Conservative Party guarantees the implementation of a concrete and realistic action programme in the first three years of governing: “Well-remunerated work!” — A priority national project, a 10,000-leu average wage on economy by 2012… European Integration — No. 1 priority of Moldova’s foreign policy! Organisation of a referendum with the view to award the status of second official language to Russian etc.

The chairperson of the organisation TarnaRom, Marin Alla, has told a press conference that the Roma in Moldova want to attend the elections but they do not know the voting procedure. According to the TarnaRom leader, there are more than 250,000 Roma in Moldova and 100,000 of them hold the right to vote. He noted that many Roma are illiterate, do not hold identity papers and do not know the voting procedure. The Government should not discriminate these people, but it should allow Roma holding Soviet-type passports to cast their ballots and tell them how to exercise this right sanctioned by Constitution. At the same time, the Roma claim that representatives of parties do not regard this ethnic as a force, as no politician organised meetings with them.