alegeri.md

In response to an appeal by the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), the Chisinau Municipal Electoral Constituency Council No.1 has decided that the news about release of the Liberal Party’s (PL) electoral programme published on website of UNIMEDIA news portal is an advertising which violates the electoral legislation. A PCRM representative insisted that the news about the release of the electoral platform would be an advertising, and gave a journalism lesson to the editorial staff UNIMEDIA by saying that editors should publish only information, without photos or video records, if the agency wants to publish public information. (according to UNIMEDIA)

New Media Group, owner of the news portal UNIMEDIA, rejects categorically the accusations brought against this agency and says that the voting by the Chisinau Electoral Constituency Council is political and aims to censor the non-political media. UNIMEDIA director Tudor Darie asked the electoral council to make a difference between a live commentary (paid from the electoral fund of PL and carries the mention “Elections 2009”) and a post-factum news bringing facts. The latter is a public information and cannot be described as electoral propaganda.

Responding to an appeal by the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), the Chisinau Municipal Electoral Constituency Council No.1 has decided to warn the electoral contestant Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) about the violation of Article 38 of the CEC regulation on media coverage of the electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections. PLDM was compeled to include all expenses related to publishing of its electoral materials into the electoral fund. Editorial staffs of periodicals Saptamina, Jurnalul de Chisinau, Timpul de Dimineata were warned regarding the necessity to include in the electoral advertising the mention “Elections 2009” and the remark “paid from electoral fund”. This decision may be contested in CEC and law courts within three days after the adoption.

Responding to an appeal by PCRM, the Chisinau Municipal Electoral Constituency Council No.1 has decided to warn the public Independent Press Association (API) against violation of electoral legislation (regarding its publication “Obiectiv” — see election news from 17.02.2009). As well, it warned the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections — Coalition 2009 to avoid support some political actions and political engagement in favour or against electoral contestants.

The Independent Press Association (API), editor of the civic and electoral education supplement Obiectiv, rejects categorically the accusations of violation of electoral legislation brought by PCRM representative to the Central Electoral Commission. Claims that articles analysing the way the PCRM has fulfilled the electoral promises made in 2005 by experts “contradict or run the risk to contradict” the electoral legislation lack a legal ground, while imputations that they were ordered by an opposition electoral contestant are ridiculous and absurd. API regrets that members of the Chisinau Electoral Constituency Council No.1 who examined the appeal by the PCRM representative at the February 20, 2009 sitting have listened to their political sympathies rather than to effective legislation and made a decision “warning API to avoid breaching the electoral legislation.” Such a decision lacks a legal ground and API will contest it in CEC and law courts.